Rh(3+) stabilized in KRh@MFI catalyses regioselective hydroformylation.

Rh(3+) stabilized in KRh@MFI catalyzes hydroformylation with a record linear to branched aldehyde ratio of 817 at 96% undecanal selectivity.

• Why it matters: Achieving high regioselectivity at high conversion remains a major challenge in industrial hydroformylation, especially with heterogeneous catalysts competing against costly homogeneous systems.
• What they did: The study used density functional theory, spectroscopic, and catalytic experiments to investigate Rh species confined inside MFI zeolite, demonstrating Rh(3+) as intrinsically more selective than Rh+ and showing how additives like NMP can suppress Rh+ activity.
• The result: The approach significantly enhances regioselectivity, enabling the development of more efficient, selective, and potentially less toxic heterogeneous catalysts for industrial hydroformylation processes.