Systematic Green Solvent Selection for the Hydroformylation of Long-Chain Alkenes

When selecting solvents,
not only thermodynamic criteria but also
environmental, health, and safety (EHS) properties should be considered.
To this end, we present a fully automated solvent selection approach
for the homogeneous catalyzed hydroformylation of 1-decene in a temperature-dependent
thermomorphic multicomponent system (TMS) using the conductor-like
screening model for real solvents (COSMO-RS). The state-of-the-art
TMS uses N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF)
as the catalyst carrier, which is developmentally toxic, thereby demanding
replacement. In order to evaluate the EHS properties holistically,
30 predictive EHS models for 15 different properties are considered
in the solvent selection framework, as well as the reliability of
the predictions. From a database containing approximately 7800 molecules,
the most promising candidates are identified. The best solvent among
them, diethyl sulfoxide (DESO), is predicted as outperforming DMF
as a catalyst solvent in the hydroformylation. The evidence suggests
that DESO may be a broadly applicable environmentally benign substitute
solvent for DMF.