Described is a process for reducing the fluoride content of products prepared in a process utilizing a fluorophosphite-containing transition metal complex catalyst, involving contacting the products with an adsorbent.
Disclosed are catalyst solutions for the hydroformylation of formaldehyde comprising one or more fluorophosphite compounds, rhodium and a hydroformylation solvent comprising at least one N,N-disubstituted amide, N-substituted cyclic amide, or a mixture thereof. Also disclosed are hydroformylation processes wherein formaldehyde is contacted with carbon monoxide, hydrogen one or more fluorophosphite compounds, rhodium and a hydroformylation solvent to produce glycolaldehyde. The fluorophosphite-based catalysts provide good reaction rates and high selectivity to glycolaldehyde.
Disclosed are processes for the preparation of glycolaldehyde in which formaldehyde is contacted with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a rhodium catalyst and a solvent containing at least one N,N-dihexylbutyramide. The glycolaldehyde product is recovered by extraction with water. The process provides high selectivity to glycolaldehyde and efficient separation of hydroformylation products from the solvent and rhodium catalyst.
