Rhodium diphosphine systems, including chiral ones, were used as catalyst p
recursors for the hydroformylation of 2,5-dihydrofuran. The effect of the r
eaction conditions and the bite angle on the activity and selectivity of th
e reaction were studied. The solution structures of the species present hav
e been investigated spectroscopically through HP-NMR experiments during the
hydroformylation reaction.