butyraldehyde

Butyraldehyde, also known as butanal, is an organic compound with the formula CH3(CH2)2CHO. This compound is the aldehyde derivative of butane. It is a colorless flammable liquid with an unpleasant smell. It is miscible with most organic solvents.

==Production== Butyraldehyde is produced almost exclusively by the hydroformylation of propylene: CH3CH=CH2 + H2 + CO → CH3CH2CH2CHO Traditionally, hydroformylation was catalyzed by cobalt carbonyl but rhodium complexes are more common. The dominant technology involves the use of rhodium catalysts derived from the water-soluble ligand tppts. An aqueous solution of the rhodium catalyst converts the propylene to the aldehyde, which forms a lighter (less dense) immiscible phase. About 6 billion kilograms are produced annually in this manner. Butyraldehyde can be produced by the catalytic dehydrogenation of n-butanol. At one time, it was produced industrially by the catalytic hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde, which is derived from acetaldehyde.