The dimeric cobalt complex Co
2(CO)
6[P(
p-CF
3C
6H
4)
3]
2 (
1) reacts reversibly with hydrogento produce HCo(CO)
3[P(
p-CF
3C
6H
4)
3] (
4). The carbonyl and the phosphine ligands of both
1and
4 are very labile. Compound
1 reacts with CO to give Co
2(CO)
7[P(
p-CF
3C
6H
4)
3] (
2), andcompound
4 reacts with CO and P(
p-CF
3C
6H
4)
3 (
L) to give HCo(CO)
4 (
5) and HCo(CO)
2[P(
p-CF
3C
6H
4)
3]
2 (
6), respectively. The
31P NMR studies show that, in the presence of
1, the linewidth of the
31P resonance of
L is temperature dependent, and at constant temperature, itsbroadening is proportional to the square root of the concentration of
1. This broadening isattributed to its exchange reaction with the mononuclear cobalt radical (CO)
3LCo
(
3), whichis generated by the homolysis of
1. Compound
1 catalyzes the hydroformylation of olefins insupercritical carbon dioxide. In contrast to the unsubstituted Co
2(CO)
8, the phosphine-modified catalyst system is stable under low CO pressures and the hydroformylation reactionscan be carried out at low pressures. In situ monitoring of
31P and
59Co NMR spectra of thesolution shows that the phosphine-containing hydrido cobalt complexes
4 and
6 are the onlyhydrido cobalt complexes present in detectable concentrations in
1-catalyzed hydroformylation reactions; nevertheless, the possibility that the observed activity for
1 comes primarilyfrom the more active HCo(CO)
4, present in concentrations below detectable limits, has notbeen rigorously excluded.