A series of phosphino-imidazolium salts (1-4), which are composed of the phosphine-incorporated imidazolium cations and the corresponding counter-anions of PF6-, TfO-, and BF4-, are used in Rh-catalyzed hydroformylation. It was found that when the ionic Rh(III)-complex (1A, [(RhCl4)-Cl-III(L)(2)]PF6, L = 1-buty1-2-diphenylphosphino-3-methylimidazolium) was used as the pre-catalyst for hydroformylation of 1-octene, its inert catalytic activity could be efficiently tailored by the ion-pair synergetic effect of ligand 1-4 in water suspension. The single crystal structures of 1, 2, and 4 indicate that the hydrogen bonding network is developed between the cation and anion of ion-pairs I and 4, but is completely non-inexistent in 2. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.