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Question

An intermediate formed during the hydroformylation of olefins using $Co_2(CO)_8$ as catalyst is

The correct answer is

$HCo(CO)_4$

Hydroformylation Catalyst Intermediate Identification

Hydroformylation, also known as the oxo process, involves adding a hydrogen atom and a formyl group (-CHO) across an olefin's double bond, typically producing aldehydes.

The catalyst mentioned is $Co_2(CO)_8$ (dicobalt octacarbonyl). In the presence of hydrogen (H$_2$) and carbon monoxide (CO) under pressure, this precatalyst activates to form the actual catalytic species.

Catalyst Activation

The primary pathway for activating $Co_2(CO)_8$ involves reaction with hydrogen gas to form the hydrido cobalt carbonyl complex. This is often represented by the equilibrium:

$ Co_2(CO)_8 + H_2 \rightleftharpoons 2 HCo(CO)_4 $

This equation shows the formation of $HCo(CO)_4$ (tetracarbonylhydridocobalt).

Role of $HCo(CO)_4$

  • $HCo(CO)_4$ is widely recognized as the active species in cobalt-catalyzed hydroformylation.
  • It participates directly in the key steps of the catalytic cycle, such as olefin coordination, migratory insertion, and hydrogenolysis.

Therefore, the intermediate formed from $Co_2(CO)_8$ during hydroformylation is $HCo(CO)_4$.

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Important Questions from Organometallic Chemistry

  1. The reaction that proceeds through an oxidative addition followed by a reductive elimination is
    [Given: Atomic numbers Ni = 28, Ta = 73, Zr = 40, Pt = 78]

  2. The heptacity of allyl and Cp and the ligation mode of NO in the thermodynamically stable complexes 
    $[(\eta^x-allyl)Ru(CO)_2(NO)]$ and $[(\eta^y-Cp)Ru(CO)_2(NO)]$, 
    respectively, are 
    (The heptacity of allyl and Cp are denoted by $\eta^x$ and $\eta^y$, respectively.)

  3. The hapticity of cycloheptatriene, $(C_7H_8)$, in $Mo(C_7H_8)(CO)_3$ is ______________.

  4. The bond angle (Ti-C-C) in the crystal structure of

    is severely distorted due to

  5. The major product of the following reaction sequence is

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