3670.     WETZEL, L. A., MCKEEVER, C. H., AND LEVESQUE, C. L.  Structures of the Oxo Aldehydes From Styrene.  Jour. Am. Chem. Soc., vol. 72, 1950, pp. 4939-4940.

        Previous work (abs. 3 and 4) reported the preparation of 2-phenylpropionaldehyde in 30% yield by the application of the Oxo reaction to styrene.  There was no evidence, however, of the formation of 3-phenylpropionaldehyde.  Additional evidence is now obtained that the primary product of the Oxo reaction on styrene is actually a mixture of the 2- and 3-phenylpropionaldehydes.  The data indicate that at least 23% is the 2-isomer, at least 29% is the 3-isomer, while the remaining 47% cannot be assigned to either at present.  Oxidation of the phenylpropionaldehyde produced by the Oxo reaction with styrene (46% yield) gives a mixture of acetophenone and 3-phynylpropionic acid.  This indicates that both 2- and 3-phenylpropionaldehydes are formed in the Oxo reaction.