Concepts of ethylene carbonylation with hydrogen gas and in‐situ generated hydrogen

The carbonylation reaction of olefins is one of the significant pathways for the synthesis of oxygen-containing compounds such as aldehydes, esters, and amides. The ethylene carbonylation reactions have drawn much interest since they produce important chemicals such as propionaldehyde and methyl propionate, which are crucial intermediates for the synthesis of polymers. Moreover, ethylene carbonylation, coupled with C-C bond formation, shows great promise for the synthesis of 3-pentanone. However, due to the presence of various competing reactions, balancing the activity and selectivity of ethylene carbonylation reactions has remained a challenge. This concept article aims at describing the recent advances in the ethylene carbonylation with different hydrogen sources.