The present invention relates to
rhodium compounds of the formula (I) [(L1)2Rh]+k[A]k- (I), where L1 is a bidentate
phosphor-organic ligand, in particular a chiral bisphosphine ligands, preferably a ligand of the formula (II) as described herein, such as (2R,3R)-bis(diphenylphosphino)
butane or (2S,3S)-bis(diphenylphosphino)
butane, and A is a
rhodium carbonyl anion optionally containing n mono- and bidentate ligands L2 and n is 0, 1 or 2, in particular 0, k is 1, 2 or 3; wherein [A]k- in formula (I) is preferably an anion of the formula [Rh(CO)4-n(L2)n]-, where L2 if present, is a monodentate organic ligand other than CO or, if n = 2, two ligands L2 may together form a bidentate organic ligand. The present invention further relates to the use of the
rhodium compounds of the formula (I) as catalysts in a selective
catalytic hydrogenation of an α,β-unsaturated olefinic
double bond of an α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compound.