Zeolite-Supported Bimetallic Catalyst: Controlling Selectivity of Rhodium Complexes by Nearby Iridium Complexes

Selectivity of isolated rhodium complexes on zeolite is significantly altered by isolated iridium complexes on the same support. Without direct interaction between the two metals, hydrogen dissociation from iridium complexes “turns off” the bifunctional mechanism responsible for ethylene dimmerization on rhodium complexes, “forcing” rhodium to operate as a hydrogenation catalyst.