Kinetics of HRh(CO)(PPh3)(3) encapsulated in hexagonal mesoporous silica has been investigated for the heterogeneous catalyzed hydroformylation of 1-hexene. The rates of hydroformylation of C-5-C-12 alkenes, determined under identical conditions, indicated a decreasing trend on increasing the chain length of the alkenes. The representative alkene, 1-hexene has been subjected for detail kinetic investigations. The 1-hexene hydroformylation kinetics has been studied as the function of the amount of catalyst, concentration of 1-hexene, partial pressure of CO and H-2, and temperature. All these parameters were found to influence the rate of hydroformylation. The rate was observed to be first order with respect to partial pressure of hydrogen. The rate was observed to increase with the increase in the amount of the catalyst and approached saturation on increasing the catalyst amount. Rates increased on increasing the CO pressure and 1-hexene concentration up to certain values, and on further increasing these parameters. substrate inhibited kinetics was observed for both CO and 1-hexene at higher pressures and concentrations, respectively. A kinetic rate model based on the mechanism of hydroformylation of 1-hexene was found to fit with the experimental rate with 15% deviation. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.