title: The Retro-Hydroformylation Reaction.
abstract: Hydroformylation, a reaction that adds carbon monoxide and dihydrogen across an unsaturated carbon-carbon multiple bond, has been widely employed in the chemical industry since its discovery in 1938. In contrast, the reverse reaction, retro-hydroformylation, has seldom been studied. The retro-hydroformylation reaction of an aldehyde into an alkene and synthesis gas (a mixture of carbon monoxide and dihydrogen) in the presence of a cyclopentadienyl iridium catalyst is now reported. Aliphatic aldehydes were converted into the corresponding alkenes in up to 91% yield with concomitant release of carbon monoxide and dihydrogen. Mechanistic control experiments indicated that the reaction proceeds by retro-hydroformylation and not by a sequential decarbonylation-dehydrogenation or dehydrogenation-decarbonylation process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan).
authors.forename: Shuhei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kusumoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan).
authors.forename: Toshiumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tatsuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan). nozaki@chembio.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nozaki
keywords: aldehydes; homogeneous catalysis; iridium; retro-hydroformylation; synthesis gas