The present invention relates to novel manganese complexes and their use, inter alia, for homogeneous catalysis in (1) the preparation of imine by dehydrogenative coupling of an alcohol and amine; (2) CC coupling in Michael addition reaction using nitriles as Michael donors; (3) dehydrogenative coupling of alcohols to give esters and hydrogen gas (4) hydrogenation of esters to form alcohols (including hydrogenation of cyclic esters (lactones) or cyclic di-esters (di-lactones), or polyesters); (5) hydrogenation of amides (including cyclic dipeptides, lactams, diamide, polypeptides and polyamides) to alcohols and amines (or diamine); (6) hydrogenation of organic carbonates (including polycarbonates) to alcohols or hydrogenation of carbamates (including polycarbamates) or urea derivatives to alcohols and amines; (7) dehydrogenation of secondary alcohols to ketones; (8) amidation of esters (i.e., synthesis of amides from esters and amines); (9) acylation of alcohols using esters; (10) coupling of alcohols with water and a base to form carboxylic acids; and (11) preparation of amino acids or their salts by coupling of amino alcohols with water and a hydrogenative coupling of alcohols and amines; (13) preparation of imides from diols.

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The present invention relates to a process for preparing 3-methyl-2-butenol (prenol) and 3-methyl-2-butenal (prenal) from 3-methyl-3-butenol (isoprenol), in which 3-methyl-3-butenol is subjected to a catalytic isomerization over a carbon-supported Pd catalyst in the presence of a gas mixture comprising 1% to 15% by volume of oxygen to obtain a first product mixture, and the first product mixture is subjected to an oxidative dehydrogenation over a Pd catalyst comprising SiO.sub.2 and/or Al.sub.2O.sub.3 as support material, or over a carbon-supported Pd/Au catalyst in the presence of a gas mixture comprising 5% to 25% by volume of oxygen.

The present invention relates to a process for preparing 3-methyl-2-butenol (prenol) and 3-methyl-2-butenal (prenal) from 3-methyl-3-butenol (isoprenol), in which 3-methyl-3-butenol is subjected to a catalytic isomerization over a carbon-supported Pd catalyst in the presence of a gas mixture comprising 1% to 15% by volume of oxygen to obtain a first product mixture, and the first product mixture is subjected to an oxidative dehydrogenation over a Pd catalyst comprising SiO.sub.2 and/or Al.sub.2O.sub.3 as support material, or over a carbon-supported Pd/Au catalyst in the presence of a gas mixture comprising 5% to 25% by volume of oxygen.

A catalyst system for the conversion of glycerin to allyl alcohol, the catalyst system comprising: a rhenium compound selected from rhenium dioxide, rhenium trioxide, and a combination thereof. A method of producing allyl alcohol from glycerin via the catalyst system, the method comprising exposing glycerin to a temperature of greater than 140 C. in the presence of a catalyst comprising rhenium trioxide, rhenium dioxide, or a combination thereof to produce a product comprising allyl alcohol.

A catalyst system for the conversion of glycerin to allyl alcohol, the catalyst system comprising: a rhenium compound selected from rhenium dioxide, rhenium trioxide, and a combination thereof. A method of producing allyl alcohol from glycerin via the catalyst system, the method comprising exposing glycerin to a temperature of greater than 140 C. in the presence of a catalyst comprising rhenium trioxide, rhenium dioxide, or a combination thereof to produce a product comprising allyl alcohol.

A method including hydroformylating, with syngas, allyl alcohol in an allyl alcohol feed, to produce a hydroformylation product comprising 4-hydroxybutyraldehyde and 3-hydroxy-2-methylpropionaldehyde; and producing a 1,4-butanediol (BDO) product comprising BDO and 1,3-methylpropanediol via hydrogenation of at least a portion of the hydroformylation product. A method including hydroformylating, with syngas, allyl alcohol in a feed comprising bio-allyl alcohol, to produce a hydroformylation product comprising 4-hydroxybutyraldehyde and 3-hydroxy-2-methylpropionaldehyde; and producing a BDO product comprising BDO and 1,3-methylpropanediol via hydrogenation of at least a portion of the hydroformylation product. A method including hydroformylating, with syngas, bio-allyl alcohol in a feed comprising bio-allyl alcohol, to produce a hydroformylation product comprising 4-hydroxybutyraldehyde and 3-hydroxy-2-methylpropionaldehyde; producing a BDO product comprising BDO and 1,3-methylpropanediol via hydrogenation of at least a portion of the hydroformylation product; and removing a byproduct of the production of the bio-allyl alcohol prior to hydroformylating the bio-allyl alcohol and/or from the BDO-product.

A method including hydroformylating, with syngas, allyl alcohol in an allyl alcohol feed, to produce a hydroformylation product comprising 4-hydroxybutyraldehyde and 3-hydroxy-2-methylpropionaldehyde; and producing a 1,4-butanediol (BDO) product comprising BDO and 1,3-methylpropanediol via hydrogenation of at least a portion of the hydroformylation product. A method including hydroformylating, with syngas, allyl alcohol in a feed comprising bio-allyl alcohol, to produce a hydroformylation product comprising 4-hydroxybutyraldehyde and 3-hydroxy-2-methylpropionaldehyde; and producing a BDO product comprising BDO and 1,3-methylpropanediol via hydrogenation of at least a portion of the hydroformylation product. A method including hydroformylating, with syngas, bio-allyl alcohol in a feed comprising bio-allyl alcohol, to produce a hydroformylation product comprising 4-hydroxybutyraldehyde and 3-hydroxy-2-methylpropionaldehyde; producing a BDO product comprising BDO and 1,3-methylpropanediol via hydrogenation of at least a portion of the hydroformylation product; and removing a byproduct of the production of the bio-allyl alcohol prior to hydroformylating the bio-allyl alcohol and/or from the BDO-product.

The present invention relates to a process for producing a diene, preferably a conjugated diene, more preferably 1,3-butadiene, comprising the dehydration of at least one alkenol having a number of carbon atoms greater than or equal to 4, in the presence of a catalytic material comprising at least one crystalline metalosilicate in acid form, preferably a macroporous zeolite, more preferably a zeolite with a FAU, BEA or MTW structure. Preferably, said alkenol having a number of carbon atoms greater than or equal to 4 may be obbtained directly through biosynthetic processes, or through catalytic dehydration processes of at least one diol. When said alkenol is a butenol, said diol is preferably a butanediol, more preferably 1,3-butanediol, even more preferably bio-1,3-butanediol, i.e. 1,3-butanediol deriving from biosynthetic processes. When said alkenol is 1,3-butanediol, or bio-1,3-butanediol, the diene obtained with the process according to the present invention is, respectively, 1,3-butadiene, or bio-1,3-butadiene.

The present invention relates to a process for producing a diene, preferably a conjugated diene, more preferably 1,3-butadiene, comprising the dehydration of at least one alkenol having a number of carbon atoms greater than or equal to 4, in the presence of a catalytic material comprising at least one crystalline metalosilicate in acid form, preferably a macroporous zeolite, more preferably a zeolite with a FAU, BEA or MTW structure. Preferably, said alkenol having a number of carbon atoms greater than or equal to 4 may be obbtained directly through biosynthetic processes, or through catalytic dehydration processes of at least one diol. When said alkenol is a butenol, said diol is preferably a butanediol, more preferably 1,3-butanediol, even more preferably bio-1,3-butanediol, i.e. 1,3-butanediol deriving from biosynthetic processes. When said alkenol is 1,3-butanediol, or bio-1,3-butanediol, the diene obtained with the process according to the present invention is, respectively, 1,3-butadiene, or bio-1,3-butadiene.

A flame-retardant aconitic acid-derived monomer, a process for forming a flame-retardant polymer, and an article of manufacture comprising a material that contains a flame-retardant aconitic acid-derived monomer are disclosed. The flame-retardant aconitic acid-derived monomer can have at least one phosphoryl or phosphonyl moiety with functional groups that can participate in a polymerization reaction, such as allyl, epoxy, or propylene carbonate functional groups. The process for forming the flame-retardant polymer can include forming an aconitic acid derivative, forming a phosphorus-based flame-retardant molecule, and reacting the aconitic acid derivative with the phosphorus-based flame-retardant molecule to form a flame-retardant aconitic acid-derived monomer, which is then polymerized. The aconitic acid derivative can be synthesized from aconitic acid obtained from a bio-based source. The material in the article of manufacture can be a resin or adhesive, and the article of manufacture can further comprise an electronic component.