A chemical reaction is catalyzed in an organic solvent using a water soluble N-heterocyclic carbene homogeneous catalyst to form a reaction mixture. An aqueous phase in the reaction mixture. A solvent in which the catalyst is insoluble is added to the reaction mixture, causing the catalyst to migrate to the aqueous phase to form a catalyst-laden aqueous phase. The catalyst is extracted from the catalyst-laden aqueous phase.

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.

We provide a process for regenerating a used acidic ionic liquid catalyst which has been deactivated by conjunct polymers in a reactor, by removing at least 57 wt % of the conjunct polymers originally present in the used acidic ionic liquid catalyst in a separate regeneration reactor, so as to increase the activity of the catalyst. We also provide a regenerated used acidic ionic liquid catalyst having increased activity.

A method for separating a homogeneous catalyst from a solution includes forming a host-guest compound between a first isomer of the catalyst and inclusion compound in the solution and isolating the host-guest compound from the solution. The catalyst may be released from the inclusion compound by converting the first isomer of the catalyst to a second isomer of the catalyst.

The present invention relates generally to processes for producing aldehydes wherein an olefinic compound, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen are reacted in the presence of a solubilized rhodium-phosphorous complex. In one embodiment, the process comprises (a) receiving a vaporized aldehyde product stream downstream from a hydroformylation reactor, the vaporized aldehyde product stream comprising aldehydes, phosphorous ligand, and aldehyde condensation by-products; (b) contacting the vaporized aldehyde product stream with a partial condenser so as to condense the phosphorous ligand and the by-products, wherein up to 10 weight percent of the vaporized stream is condensed; (c) removing the condensed phosphorous ligand and the condensed by-products from the liquid condensation stream using a refining column; and (d) further processing the vaporized aldehydes from the separate refining column.

Highly active, recoverable and recyclable transition metal-based metathesis catalysts and their organometallic complexes including dendrimeric complexes are disclosed, including a Ru complex bearing a 1,3-dimesityl-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene and styrenyl ether ligand. The heterocyclic ligand significantly enhances the catalytic activity, and the styrenyl ether allows for the easy recovery of the Ru complex. Derivatized catalysts capable of being immobilized on substrate surfaces are also disclosed. The present catalysts can be used to catalyze ring-closing metathesis (RCM), ring-opening (ROM) and cross metatheses (CM) reactions, and promote the efficient formation of various trisubstituted olefins at ambient temperature in high yield.

This describes homogeneous catalysts that are recoverable from solution by being phase selective and through host-guest interactions. An example of a method includes separating a water soluble N-heterocyclic carbene homogeneous catalyst from a solution by: (a) forming a host-guest compound between the catalyst and an inclusion compound in the solution; and (b) isolating the host-guest compound from the solution.

Chemical processes are disclosed that act to both regenerate and create new catalyst for iron salt catalyzed Kharasch coupling reactions during the process of creating halogenated hydrocarbons. Such processes include loading a reactor with a quantity of Fe(0) metal such as iron wire, supplying CCl.sub.4 to the reactor, supplying a phosphate compound to the reactor, supplying an alkene to the reactor, and supplying a carbonyl of Fe(0) to the reactor.

A simple approach to produce mixed Cu/Cu.sub.2O nanocrystals having a specific morphology by controlling the reaction temperature during Cu/Cu.sub.2O nanocrystals synthesis. Other variables are kept constant, such as the amount of reactants, while the reaction temperatures is maintained at a predetermined temperature of 70 C., 30 C. or 0 C., which are used to produce different and controlled morphologies for the Cu/Cu.sub.2O nanocrystals. The reaction mixture includes a copper ion contributor, a capping agent, a pH adjustor, and reducing agent. The reaction mixture is held at the predetermined temperature for three hours to produce the Cu/Cu.sub.2O nanocrystals. The synthesis method has advantages such as mass production, easy operation, and high reproducibility.

Methods of making indole analogs using a rhodium-containing catalyst are described, along with methods of using the compounds to treat hyperglycemic, hyperlipidemic, or autoimmune disorders in mammals, and corresponding pharmaceutical compositions. Disclosed herein is a method of making indoles. The method comprises contacting a reactant of formula I wherein E is a protecting group, SO2-Aryl, or SO2-substituted-Aryl; and R and R2 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halo, C1-C12-alkyl and aryl; with a rhodium(1)-containing catalyst.