Process for catalytic oxidative esterification of methacrolein with methanol and oxygen to methyl methacrylate in the presence of a heterogeneous egg-shell catalyst comprising gold metal and an oxide of at least one second element selected from Ni, Co, Fe, Zn and/or Ti supported on a support material comprising SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and at least one basic element oxide, characterized in that the process is carried out in the presence of at least one compound, comprising Ni, Co, Fe, Zn and/or Ti, which is soluble in the reaction mixture under process conditions.

The invention relates to the conversion of paraffinic hydrocarbon to oligomers of greater molecular weight and/or to aromatic hydrocarbon. The invention also relates to equipment and materials useful in such conversion, and to the use of such conversion for, e.g., natural gas upgrading. Corresponding olefinic hydrocarbon is produced from the paraffinic hydrocarbon in the presence of a dehydrogenation catalyst containing a catalytically active carbonaceous component. The corresponding olefinic hydrocarbon is then converted by oligomerization and/or dehydrocyclization in the presence of at least one molecular sieve catalyst.

Organically bound nitrogen is removed from an ethylenically unsaturated alcohol stream by contacting the alcohol stream with a weakly acidic solid adsorbent. Trace amounts of organically bound nitrogen tend to poison the oxidation catalyst in subsequent oxidation processes using the ethylenically unsaturated alcohol stream.

A photocatalytic device includes a substrate and an array of conductive projections supported by the substrate and extending outward from the substrate. Each conductive projection of the array of conductive projections has a semiconductor composition configured for charge carrier generation in response to light radiation. Each conductive projection of the array of conductive projections is decorated with a catalyst arrangement, the catalyst arrangement including a parental Group IB metal and a secondary platinum group metal.