Cobalt-catalysed reaction of carbon monoxide–hydrogen mixtures in alkoxy-terminated polyglycol solvents

Abstract

Under pressures of ca. 200 bar (3000 lb in^–2) in CO–H₂ at ca. 200–250 °C in methoxy-terminated poly-glycol (glyme) solvents, [Me(OCH₂CH₂)_nOMe], cobalt carbonyls catalyse the formation of a number of oxy-genated products in which ethanol predominates (up to 70% selectivity); experiments with ¹³C labelled CO and unlabelled diglyme suggest that > 90% of the ethanol was derived from the solvent and only ca. 5% from pure syn gas chemistry.