Rhodium embedded in a zeolite framework catalyzes hydroformylation

Many commercial products, including plasticizers and detergents, rely on aldehyde building blocks. Hydroformylation constructs aldehydes from alkenes and synthesis gas—a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The industrial process currently uses rhodium-based catalysts that are expensive, involve toxic phosphine-containing ligands, and occur in the same phase as the reactants, which complicates catalyst recovery.

Aiming to get around those challenges, scientists have advanced an alternative, heterogenous catalyst: Rh₂O₃ clusters embedded within the channels of an MFI zeolite—a crystalline, porous material. The product selectivity achieved with this technique is highly competitive with current industry standards, and the nontoxic catalyst is recyclable (Nature 2026, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-11136-9).