MCM-41 molecular sieve supported Rh-PPh3 catalysts were prepared by the in-situ assembling of the metal complex from smaller moieties of Rh(acac) (CO)(2) and ligand of PPh3. The resulted guest/host materials (Rh-PPh3/MCM-41) were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, FTIR and P-31 (H-1.) NMR, and served as catalysts for propene hydroformylation. The results showed negligible change in MCM-41 framework after propene hydroformylation at 393 K. Higher hydroformylation activities were obtained on Rh-PPh3/MCM-41 catalysts compared to that on Rh-PPh3/SiO2,
