Thermoregulated phase-transfer cobalt catalyst for production of linear higher alcohols from C11–12 internal olefins in aqueous/organic biphasic system

The thermoregulated phase-transfer cobalt catalyst, composed of a polyethylene glycol tailed phosphine ligand and cobalt carbonyl, has been applied for the conversion of normal C_11–12 internal olefins into linear higher alcohols via hydroformylation and hydrogenation in an aqueous/organic biphasic system. Good catalyst activity (TOF = 2.2 h^? 1) in this biphasic system was obtained which was as high as that in the homogeneous system where a cobalt catalyst was modified by a lipophilic phosphine ligand. Easy catalyst recovery has been done by phase decanting, and the aqueous phase with the cobalt catalyst was used directly in recycling. In 4 times of recycling tests, the yield of alcohols decreased slightly, the leaching of cobalt into the organic phase was less than 2.7% each time and a total catalyst TON of around 150 was obtained.