Homogeneous Rh(I)-species are excellent catalysts for carbonylation. A
limiting factor for an economical use of these catalysts is the neces
sity of catalyst separation. In the last 20 years, research was focuse
d on the immobilization of noble metal catalysts at different supports
. Until now, none of the immobilized catalysts is used in industrial p
rocesses. In this work, a more sophisticated system was developed lead
ing to promising results. It consists of a Rh(I)-catalyst immobilized
on an activated carbon. The stability of the catalyst was tested in th
e carbonylation of 1,3-butadiene to 3-pentenoic acid. An increase of t
he selectivity of pentenoic acid compared to the homogeneous reaction
was found by immobilization of the nobel metal. (C) 1998 Elsevier Scie
nce B.V. All rights reserved.