The invention relates to a silver-comprising catalyst system for the preparation of aldehydes and/or ketones by oxidative dehydrogenation of alcohols, in particular the oxidative dehydrogenation of methanol to form formaldehyde, comprising a first catalyst layer and a second catalyst layer, wherein the first catalyst layer consists of a silver-comprising material in the form of balls of wire, gauzes or knitteds having a weight per unit area of from 0.3 to 10 kg/m.sup.2 and a wire diameter of from 30 to 200 m and the second catalyst layer consists of a silver-comprising material in the form of granular material having an average particle size of from 0.5 to 5 mm and the two catalyst layers are in direct contact with one another. The invention further relates to a corresponding process for the preparation of aldehydes and/or ketones, in particular of formaldehyde, by oxidative dehydrogenation of corresponding alcohols over a silver-comprising catalyst system.

Process for selective the conversion of primary C4 alcohol into propylene comprising: contacting a stream (1) containing essentially a primary C4 alcohol with at least one catalyst at a temperature ranging from 150 C. to 500 C. and at pressure ranging from 0.01 MPa to 10 MPa conditions effective to transform said primary C4 alcohol into an effluent stream (2, 5) containing essentially propylene, carbon monoxide and di-hydrogen, said transformation of primary C4 alcohol comprising at least a reaction of decarbonylation and optionally a decarboxylation reaction, said at least one catalyst comprising a support being a non-acidic i.e. having a TPD NH3 of less than 50 preferably less than 40 mol/g and optionally a non-basic catalyst i.e. having a TPD CO2 of less than 100 preferably less than 50 mol/g.

Methods of preparing unsaturated compounds or analogs through dehydrogenation of corresponding saturated compounds and/or hydrogenation of aromatic compounds are disclosed.

The present subject matter relates generally to the derivatization of highly-aligned carbon nanotube sheet substrates with one or more transition metal centers and to uses of the resulting metal-derivatized CNT sheet substrates.

Methods of preparing unsaturated compounds or analogs through dehydrogenation of corresponding saturated compounds and/or hydrogenation of aromatic compounds are disclosed.

A process for producing ethylene from an ethanol feedstock comprises a step of subjecting the ethanol feedstock to a dehydration reaction in the presence of a supported heteropolyacid salt catalyst. The supported heteropolyacid salt catalyst includes a support and a heteropolyacid salt compound which is carried on the support and which is represented by a formula as defined herein.

A composition comprising a supported hydrogenation catalyst comprising palladium and a support, wherein the supported hydrogenation catalyst is capable of selectively hydrogenating highly unsaturated hydrocarbons to unsaturated hydrocarbons; and a dopant comprising a fluorene structure. A method of making a selective hydrogenation catalyst including contacting a support with a palladium-containing compound to form a supported-palladium composition; contacting the supported-palladium composition with a dopant comprising a fluorene structure group to form a selective hydrogenation catalyst precursor; and reducing the selective hydrogenation catalyst precursor to form the selective hydrogenation catalyst. A method of selectively hydrogenating highly unsaturated hydrocarbons to an unsaturated hydrocarbon enriched composition by contacting a supported catalyst comprising palladium and a dopant comprising a fluorene structure with a feed comprising highly unsaturated hydrocarbon under conditions suitable for hydrogenating at least a portion of the highly unsaturated hydrocarbon feed to form the unsaturated hydrocarbon enriched composition.

A composition comprising a supported hydrogenation catalyst comprising palladium and a support, wherein the supported hydrogenation catalyst is capable of selectively hydrogenating highly unsaturated hydrocarbons to unsaturated hydrocarbons; and a dopant comprising a fluorene structure. A method of making a selective hydrogenation catalyst including contacting a support with a palladium-containing compound to form a supported-palladium composition; contacting the supported-palladium composition with a dopant comprising a fluorene structure group to form a selective hydrogenation catalyst precursor; and reducing the selective hydrogenation catalyst precursor to form the selective hydrogenation catalyst. A method of selectively hydrogenating highly unsaturated hydrocarbons to an unsaturated hydrocarbon enriched composition by contacting a supported catalyst comprising palladium and a dopant comprising a fluorene structure with a feed comprising highly unsaturated hydrocarbon under conditions suitable for hydrogenating at least a portion of the highly unsaturated hydrocarbon feed to form the unsaturated hydrocarbon enriched composition.

Processes and associated reaction systems for the oxidative dehydrogenation of an alkane containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms, preferably ethane or propane, more preferably ethane, are provided. In particular, a process is provided that comprises supplying a feed gas comprising the alkane and oxygen to a reactor vessel that comprises an upstream and downstream catalyst bed; contacting the feed gas with an oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst in the upstream catalyst bed, followed by contact with an oxidative dehydrogenation/oxygen removal catalyst in the downstream catalyst bed, to yield a reactor effluent comprising the alkene; and supplying an upstream coolant to an upstream shell space of the reactor vessel from an upstream coolant circuit and a downstream coolant to a downstream shell space of the reactor vessel from a downstream coolant circuit.

Provided herein are compositions and methods for use of an organosilica material comprising a copolymer of at least one monomer of Formula [R.sup.1R.sup.2SiCH.sub.2].sub.3 (I), wherein, R.sup.1 represents a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkoxy group; and R.sup.2 is a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkoxy group or a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkyl group; and at least one other monomer of Formula [(Z.sup.1O).sub.xZ.sup.2.sub.3-xSiZ.sup.3SZ.sup.4] (II), wherein, Z.sup.1 represents a hydrolysable functional group; Z.sup.2 represents a C.sub.1-C.sub.10 alkyl or aryl group; Z.sup.3 represents a C.sub.2-C.sub.11 cyclic or linear hydrocarbon; Z.sup.4 is either H or O.sub.3H; and x represents any one of integers 1, 2, and 3. The composition may be used as a support material to covalently attach transition metal cations, as a sorbent for olefin/paraffin separations, as a catalyst support for hydrogenation reactions, as a precursor for highly dispersed metal nanoparticles, or as a polar sorbent for crude feeds.