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Why is hydroformylation called the oxo process in commercial chemistry?

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oxidation of alcohols — aldehyde Alcohols may be oxidized to give aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acids. The oxidation of organic compounds generally increases the number of bonds from carbon to oxygen, and it may decrease the number of bonds to hydrogen.

Hydroformylation is referred to as the oxo process in commercial chemistry because it is primarily used to synthesize aldehydes—often called "oxo aldehydes"—which serve as intermediate products.12

While the term "oxo" might suggest an oxidation reaction, the process actually involves the addition of carbon monoxide and hydrogen to olefins (alkenes) in the presence of a metal catalyst to produce aldehydes. These resulting aldehydes are rarely the final goal; instead, they are typically reduced to alcohols or oxidized to carboxylic acids for use in the production of detergents, textile fibers, and industrial solvents.12