Immobilization of a rhodium carbene complex to an amphiphilic block copolymer for hydroformylation of 1-octene under aqueous two-phase conditions

We present the first synthesis of an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) rhodium catalyst immobilized to an amphiphilic, water-soluble block copolymer support. The resulting macroligand was applied in the hydroformylation of I-octene under aqueous two-phase conditions in four consecutive cycles and showed high activity up to 2360 h(-1) (TOF).