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containing ligand. such as a phosphite, incorporated into the polymer. The supported catalyst is not limited by the choice of polymer $_{or }$phosphorus-containing species incorporated into it. Descriptions $_{of }$polymer-supported catalysts may be found in for example: J. Mol. Cat. 1993, 83. 17-35; Chemtech 1983, 46; J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1987. 109, 7122-7127. above, the cata› 

In the heterogeneous catalysts described lyst may remain in its heterogeneous form during the entire hydroformylation and catalyst separation process. In another embodiment of the invention, the catalyst may be supported on a polymer which. by the nature of its molecular weight. is soluble in the reaction medium at elevated temperatures, but precipitates upon cooling, thus facilitating catalyst sepa› ration from the reaction mixture. Such "soluble" polymer› supported catalysts are described in for example: Polymer, 1992. 33. 161; J. Org. Chem. 1989, 54, 2726-2730. out in the slurry 

More preferably. the reaction is carried phase due to the high boiling points of the products, and to avoid decomposition of the product aldehydes. The catalyst may then be separated from the product mixture, for example. by filtration or decantation. The reaction product fluid may contain a heterogeneous metal-organophosphite ligand complex catalyst. e.g., slurry, or at least a portion of the reaction product fluid may contact a fixed heterogeneous metal-organophosphite ligand complex catalyst during the hydroformylation process. In an embodiment of this invention, $_{the }$metal-organophosphite ligand complex cata› lyst may be slurried in the reaction product fluid. olefinic unsaturated start- 

The substituted or unsubstituted ing material reactants that may be employed in the hydro› formylation processes of this invention include both opti› cally active (prochiral and chiral) and non-optically active (achiral) olefinic unsaturated compounds containing from 2 to 40, preferably 4 to 20, carbon atoms. Such olefinic unsaturated compounds can be terminally or internally unsaturated and be of straight-chain, branched chain or cyclic structures, as well as olefin mixtures. such as obtained from the oligomerization of propene, butene, isobutene, etc. (such as so called dimeric, trimeric or tetrameric propylene and the like, as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4.518,809 and 4.528,403). Moreover, such olefin com› pounds may further contain one or more ethylenic unsatur› ated groups, and of course, mixtures of two or more different olefinic unsaturated compounds may be employed as the starting hydroformylation material if desired. For example, commercial alpha olefins containing four or more carbon atoms may contain minor amounts of corresponding internal olefins and/or their corresponding saturated hydrocarbon and that such commercial olefins need not necessarily be purified from same prior to being hydroformylated. mustra› tive mixtures of olefinic starting materials that can be employed in the hydroformylation reactions include, for example. mixed butenes. e.g., Raffinate I and II. Further such olefinic unsaturated compounds and the corresponding aide- hyde products derived therefrom may also contain one or more groups or substituents which do not unduly adversely affect the hydroformylation process or the process of this invention such as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3.527 ,809. 4,769.498 and the like. is especially useful 

Most preferably the subject invention for the production of non-optically active aldehydes, by hydroformylating achiral alpha-olefins containing from 2 to 30. preferably 4 to 20. carbon atoms, and achiral internal olefins containing from 4 to 20 carbon atoms as well as starting material mixtures of such alpha olefins and internal olefins. 

Illustrative alpha and internal olefins include, for example, ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, 1-pentene, 1-hexene. 1-octene, 1-nonene, 1-decene, 1-undecene, 1-dodecene. 1-tridecene. 1-tetradecene. 1-pentadecene, 1-hexadecene. 1-heptadecene. 1-octadecene, 1-nonadecene. 1-eicosene. 2-butene, 2-methyl propene (isobutylene), 2-methylbutene, 2-pentene. 2-hexene. 3-hexane, 2-heptene. 2-octene, cyclohexene, propylene dimers, propylene trimers, propylene tetramers, butadiene, piperylene, isoprene, 2-ethyl-1-hexene, styrene, 4-methyl styrene. 4-isopropyl styrene. 4-tert-butyl styrene. alphamethyl styrene, 4-tert› butyl-alpha-methyl styrene, 1.3-diisopropenylbenzene, 3-phenyl-1-propene. 1,4-hexadiene, 1.7-octadiene, 3-cyclohexyl-1-butene, and the like. as well as. 1.3-dienes, butadiene, alkyl alkenoates. e.g., methyl pentenoate. alkenyl alkanoates, alkenyl alkyl ethers, alkenols, e.g., pentenols, alkenals, e.g., pentenals, and the like, such as allyl alcohol, allyl butyrate, hex-1-en-4-ol, oct-1-en-4-ol. vinyl acetate, allyl acetate, 3-butenyl acetate. vinyl propionate, allyl propionate, methyl methacrylate, vinyl ethyl ether, vinyl methyl ether, allyl ethyl ether, n-propyl-7-octenoate, 3-butenenitrile. 5-hexenamide, eugenol. iso-eugenol, safrole. iso-safrole, anethol, 4-allylanisole, indene, limonene, beta-pinene, dicyclopentadiene, cyclooctadiene, camphene, linalool. and the like. in the asymmetric 

Prochiral and chiral olefins useful hydroformylation that can be employed to produce enantio› meric aldehyde mixtures that may be encompassed by in this invention include those represented by the formula: 

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wherein R$_{1}$ , R$_{2}$ • R$_{3 }$ and R$_{4 }$ are the same or different (provided R $_{1 }$ is different from R$_{2 }$ or R$_{3 }$ is different from ~) and are selected from hydrogen; alkyl; substituted alkyl, said substitution being selected from dialkylamino such as ben› zy lamino and dibenzylamino, alkoxy such as methoxy and ethoxy. acyloxy such as acetoxy. halo, nitro, nitrile, thio, carbonyl, carboxamide, carboxaldehyde. carboxyl. carboxy- lic ester; aryl including phenyl; substituted aryl including phenyl. said substitution being selected from alkyl. amino including alkylamino and dialkylarnino such as benzy› lamino and dibenzylamino, hydroxy, alkoxy such as meth› oxy and ethoxy. acyloxy such as acetoxy, halo, nitrile, nitro, carboxyl, carboxaldehyde, carboxylic ester, carbonyl, and thio; acyloxy such as acetoxy; alkoxy such as methoxy and ethoxy; amino including alkylarnino and dialkylamino such as benzylamino and dibenzylarnino; acylamino and diacy› larnino such $_{as }$acetylbenzylamino and diacetylamino; nitro; carbonyl; nitrile; carboxyl; carboxamide; carboxaldehyde; carboxylic ester; and alkylm.ercapto such as methylmer› capto. It is understood that the prochiral and chiral olefins of this definition also include molecules of the above general formula where the R groups are connected to form ring compounds. e.g .• 3-m.ethyl-1-cyclohexene. and the like. prochiral olefinic com› 

IDustrative optically active or pounds useful in asymmetric hydroformylation include, for example, p-isobutylstyrene, 2-vinyl-6-methoxy-2- naphthylene, 3-ethenylphenyl phenyl ketone, 4-ethenylphenyl-2-thie nylketone, 4-ethenyl-2- fluorobiphenyl. $_{4-( }$l.3-dihydro-1-oxo-2H-isoindol-2-yl) styrene. 2-ethenyl-5-benzoylthiophene. 3-ethenylphenyl phenyl ether. propenylbenzene, isobutyl-4- propenylbenzene, phenyl vinyl ether and the like. Other olefinic compounds include substituted aryl ethylenes as 

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