There are provided methods for the valorization of carbohydrates. The methods comprise reacting a fluid comprising at least one carbohydrate with at least one metal catalyst or at least one metal catalytic system in a fluidized bed reactor so as to obtain at least one organic acid or a derivative thereof.

A visible-light-responsive photocatalyst powder includes a tungsten oxide powder. When the tungsten oxide powder is measured by X-ray diffractometry, (1) among intensity ratios of a peak A (2=22.8 to 23.4), a peak B (2=23.4 to 23.8), a peak C (2=24.0 to 24.25), and a peak D (2=24.25 to 24.5), an A/D ratio and a B/D ratio each fall within a range of 0.5 to 2.0, and a C/D ratio falls within a range of 0.04 to 2.5, (2) an intensity ratio (E/F) of a peak E (2=33.85 to 34.05) to a peak F (2=34.05 to 34.25) falls within a range of 0.1 to 2.0, and (3) an intensity ratio (G/H) of a peak G (2=49.1 to 49.7) to a peak H (2=49.7 to 50.3) falls within a range of 0.04 to 2.0, and the tungsten oxide powder has a BET specific surface area in a range of 1.5 to 820 m.sup.2/g.

This invention relates to a method for the preparation of a hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst material, in the form of a hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst precursor and/or catalyst, preferably, a Fischer Tropsch synthesis catalyst precursor and/or catalyst. The invention also extends to the use of a catalyst precursor and/or catalyst prepared by the method according to the invention in a hydrocarbon synthesis process, preferably, a Fischer Tropsch synthesis process. According to this invention, a method for the preparation of a hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst material includes the steps of treating Fe(II) carboxylate in solution with an oxidizing agent to convert it to Fe(III) carboxylate in solution under conditions which ensure that such oxidation does not take place simultaneously with any dissolution of Fe(0); and hydrolyzing the Fe(III) carboxylate solution resulting from step (iii) and precipitating one or more Fe(III) hydrolysis products.

A composition that comprises a support material that is loaded with an active metal or metal precursor, an amine component, and a non-amine containing polar additive. The composition is useful in the hydroprocessing of hydrocarbon feedstocks. The composition is prepared by incorporating a metal solution into a support material followed by incorporating therein an amine component and a non-amine containing polar additive.

Disclosed herein are methods for synthesizing 1,2,5,6-hexanetetrol (HTO), 1,6 hexanediol (HDO) and other reduced polyols from C5 and C6 sugar alcohols or R glycosides. The methods include contacting the sugar alcohol or R-glycoside with a copper catalyst, most desirably a Raney copper catalyst with hydrogen for a time, temperature and pressure sufficient to form reduced polyols having 2 to 3 fewer hydoxy groups than the starting material. When the starting compound is a C6 sugar alcohol such as sorbitol or R-glycoside of a C6 sugar such as methyl glucoside, the predominant product is HTO. The same catalyst can be used to further reduce the HTO to HDO.

Disclosed herein are methods for synthesizing 1,2,5,6-hexanetetrol (HTO), 1,6 hexanediol (HDO) and other reduced polyols from C5 and C6 sugar alcohols or R glycosides. The methods include contacting the sugar alcohol or R-glycoside with a copper catalyst, most desirably a Raney copper catalyst with hydrogen for a time, temperature and pressure sufficient to form reduced polyols having 2 to 3 fewer hydoxy groups than the starting material. When the starting compound is a C6 sugar alcohol such as sorbitol or R-glycoside of a C6 sugar such as methyl glucoside, the predominant product is HTO. The same catalyst can be used to further reduce the HTO to HDO.

Disclosed herein are methods for synthesizing 1,2,5,6-hexanetetrol (HTO), 1,6 hexanediol (HDO) and other reduced polyols from C5 and C6 sugar alcohols or R glycosides. The methods include contacting the sugar alcohol or R-glycoside with a copper catalyst, most desirably a Raney copper catalyst with hydrogen for a time, temperature and pressure sufficient to form reduced polyols having 2 to 3 fewer hydoxy groups than the starting material. When the starting compound is a C6 sugar alcohol such as sorbitol or R-glycoside of a C6 sugar such as methyl glucoside, the predominant product is HTO. The same catalyst can be used to further reduce the HTO to HDO.

A new chromium-containing fluorination catalyst is described. The catalyst comprises an amount of zinc that promotes activity. The zinc is contained in aggregates which have a size across their largest dimension of up to 1 micron. The aggregates are distributed throughout at least the surface region of the catalyst and greater than 40 weight % of the aggregates contain a concentration of zinc that is within 1 weight % of the modal concentration of zinc in those aggregates.

A porous composite metal oxide, including a mixture of first ultrafine particles containing alumina and second ultrafine particles containing zirconia, wherein the first ultrafine particles and the second ultrafine particles are uniformly dispersed in such a way as to satisfy a condition that standard deviations of content ratios (% by mass) of all metal elements contained in the porous composite metal oxide at 0.1% by mass or more are each 10 or less, the standard deviations being obtained by measuring content ratios of the metal elements at 100 measurement points within a minute analysis region of 20 nm square by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy using a scanning transmission electron microscope equipped with a spherical aberration correction function.

An electrocatalytic process for carbon dioxide conversion includes combining a Catalytically Active Element and Helper Catalyst in the presence of carbon dioxide, allowing a reaction to proceed to produce a reaction product, and applying electrical energy to said reaction to achieve electrochemical conversion of said reactant to said reaction product. The Catalytically Active Element can be a metal in the form of supported or unsupported particles or flakes with an average size between 0.6 nm and 100 nm. the reaction products comprise at least one of CO, HCO.sup., H.sub.2CO, (HCO.sub.2).sup., H.sub.2CO.sub.2, CH.sub.3OH, CH.sub.4, C.sub.2H.sub.4, CH.sub.3CH.sub.2OH, CH.sub.3COO.sup., CH.sub.3COOH, C.sub.2H.sub.6, (COOH).sub.2, (COO.sup.).sub.2, and CF.sub.3COOH.