The invention relates to oligomerization of olefins, such as ethylene, to higher olefins, such as a mixture of 1-hexene and 1-octene, using a catalyst system that comprises a) a source of chromium b) one or more activators and c) a phosphacycle-containing ligating compound. Additionally, the invention relates to a phosphacycle-containing ligating compound and a process for making said compound.

An oxidative homocoupling method of synthesizing certain 2,2-bithiophenes from thiophenes using oxygen as the terminal oxidant is disclosed. In non-limiting examples, the method uses oxygen along with a catalytic system that includes palladium, an assistive ligand, and a non-palladium metal additive to catalyze one of the following reactions:

##STR00001##

Associated catalytic systems and compositions are also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a two-stage hydroformylation process for producing pound of the formula (I) and to a process for producing a compound of the formula (V) comprising the two-stage hydroformylation process for producing a compound of the formula (I) followed by hydrogenation of the compound of the formula (I). ##STR00001##

The present invention relates to a transition metal-based heterogeneous carbonylation reaction catalyst that has an excellent catalytic activity and selectivity in the carbonylation reaction and is easily separated from a product, by crosslinking polymerizing a transition metal-based homogeneous catalyst unit through a Friedel-Craft reaction; and a method for preparing lactone using the same. The transition metal-based heterogeneous carbonylation reaction catalyst allows to produce lactone or succinic anhydride with an epoxide compound while showing a high selectivity, and can be applied in industrial very usefully due to easy separation from the product and thus reusing thereof.

An oxidative homocoupling method of synthesizing certain 2,2-bithiophenes from thiophenes using oxygen as the terminal oxidant is disclosed. In non-limiting examples, the method uses oxygen along with a catalytic system that includes palladium, an assistive ligand, and a non-palladium metal additive to catalyze one of the following reactions: ##STR00001## Associated catalytic systems and compositions are also disclosed.

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 invention relates to oligomerization of olefins, such as ethylene, to higher olefins, such as a mixture of 1-hexene and 1-octene, using a catalyst system that comprises a) a source of chromium b) one or more activators and c) a phosphacycle-containing ligating compound. Additionally, the invention relates to a phosphacycle-containing ligating compound and a process for making said compound.

The present invention relates to silica-based heterogeneous zinc compounds which are suitable as catalysts in the reaction of amines with dialkyl carbonates to produce carbamates. The catalysts have the formula [SiO.sub.2]CH.sub.2CHRXCOOZn[Y], wherein [SiO.sub.2] represents a silica carrier selected from the group consisting of ordered mesoporous silica and irregular amorphous narrow pore silica, R represents a moiety selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, CH.sub.3, and CH.sub.2CH.sub.3, preferably hydrogen, X is an aliphatic chain of 2 to 11 carbon atoms that optionally comprises ether moieties and [Y] represents a mono anion. The invention is also directed towards a method for the preparation of the aforementioned compounds and towards method for the alkoxycarbonylation of amines.

Disclosed herein is a catalyst system comprising (i) a heterocyclic 2-[(phosphinyl)aminyl]imine transition metal compound complex having Structure I wherein T is oxygen or sulfur, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each independently a C.sub.1 to C.sub.20 organyl group consisting essentially of inert functional groups, R.sup.3 is hydrogen or a C.sub.1 to C.sub.20 organyl group, L is a C.sub.1 to C.sub.20 organylene group consisting essentially of inert functional groups, MX.sub.p represents a transition metal compound where M is a transition metal, X is a monoanion, and p is an integer from 1 to 6, Q is a neutral ligand, and q ranges from 0 to 6, and (ii) an organoaluminum compound. Also disclosed herein is a process comprising contacting (i) ethylene, (ii) a catalyst system comprising (a) a heterocyclic transition metal compound complex having Structure I as described herein and (b) an organoaluminum compound, and (iii) optionally hydrogen to form an oligomer product. ##STR00001##

Tin-containing catalysts are provided comprising a compound of formula I. I: ##STR00001##
L1, L2, L3, and L4 are each independently selected from O, S, OC(O), OC(S), SC(O), SC(S), OS(O).sub.2O, OS(O).sub.2 N(R6)-, and OP(O)(R6)-, wherein R6 represents hydrogen or a monovalent aliphatic, araliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic group having up to 20 carbon atoms. R1, R2, R3, R1, R2, and R3 each independently represent a divalent aliphatic, araliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic group having up to 20 carbon atoms; and R4, R5, R4, and R5 each independently represent hydrogen or a monovalent residue derived from reaction of a respective NH group with an isocyanate, an ethylenically unsaturated compound, a lactone, a dilactone, a thiolactone, a lactam, a thiolactam, a carboxylic acid or derivative thereof, or an epoxide. Also provided are curable compositions containing these catalysts and methods of controlling the rate of cure of curable compositions.