The present invention provides a catalyst system for producing cyclic carbonates comprising: a pre-catalyst, which is BiCl.sub.3 having amounts in the range from 5 to 10% by weight of silica support; a compound having formula (I) ##STR00001## wherein: Y is selected from bromide (Br.sup.?) or iodide (I.sup.?); R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 are methyl group or R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 are taken together to form a heteroaryl ring having formula (II) ##STR00002##
and a silica (SiO.sub.2) support.

Provided is an apparatus for an aldol condensation reaction having high productivity at low cost. Specifically, the apparatus for an aldol condensation reaction according to the present invention has an effect of having high productivity by preventing a drop in a conversion rate due to an increase in a residence time when increasing a facility scale, allows conditions of raising a concentration of a catalyst and a temperature, and has an effect of minimizing a content of the catalyst used at the same yield as compared with a conventional apparatus. In addition, costs required for increasing a facility scale may be minimized without adding a device such as a pump separately, and an amount of harmful wastewater produced may be minimized.

A slurry-phase catalyst composition may include a disulfide oil and a first metal complex. The first metal complex may include at least one transition metal selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, cobalt, nickel, tungsten, iron, and combinations of these. The first metal complex may also include a plurality of ligands bonded to the at least one transition metal. The plurality of ligands may include at least one first ligand selected from the group consisting of dim ethyl sulfide, dimethyldisulfide, diethyl sulfide, diethyldisulfide, methyl ethyl sulfide, methylethyldisulfide, and combinations thereof, and the transition metal may be bonded to a sulfur atom of the at least one first ligand.

A catalyst composition includes a liquid metal alloy having a melting point from about 20? C. to about 25? C., the liquid metal alloy including a primary metal and a secondary metal, the primary metal being aluminum and the secondary metal is selected from the group consisting of gallium, indium, and bismuth.

A method is disclosed for converting biomass into a fuel additive, the method comprising: liquefying the biomass to form a liquor; neutralizing the liquor; precipitating lignin out of the liquor; extracting furfural (FF) and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) from the liquor; and hydrodeoxygenating (HDO) the extracted furfurals over a CuNi/TiO.sub.2 catalyst. The catalyst for hydrodeoxygenating (HDO) furfural (FF) and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to methylated furans comprises copper-nickel (CuNi) particles supported on titanium dioxide (TiO.sub.2), and wherein the copper-nickel particles form core-shell structures in which copper (Cu) is enriched at a surface of the catalyst.

Provided is a formed body containing at least one carbonate compound (A1) selected from Na.sub.2CO.sub.3 or K.sub.2CO.sub.3, the formed body having a volume of pores with a pore diameter of from 0.05 m to 10 m of from 0.10 mL/g to 0.30 mL/g and a crushing strength of from 1.8 kgf to 10.0 kgf.

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 disclosure provides a process for treatment a spent ionic liquid, comprising: mixing the spent ionic liquid with a first fluid medium and water to obtain slurry comprising a solid fraction and a liquid fraction; separating the solid fraction from slurry to obtain a filtrate and a residue comprising hydrated ionic solids; followed by drying the residue comprising the hydrated ionic solids at a temperature in the range of 60 C. to 120 C. to obtain treated ionic solids; and evaporating the filtrate to recover the fluid medium. The process of the present disclosure further comprises a step of contacting the treated ionic solids with at least one second fluid medium to separate an active ionic liquid.

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods that can achieve photoreduction of CO.sub.2 to CO in pure water at pH 6-7 with excellent performance parameters. In embodiments, the compositions and methods use CuInS.sub.2 colloidal quantum dots (QDs) as photosensitizers, and a Co-porphyrin catalyst.

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods that can achieve photoreduction of CO.sub.2 to CO in pure water at pH 6-7 with excellent performance parameters. In embodiments, the compositions and methods use CuInS.sub.2 colloidal quantum dots (QDs) as photosensitizers, and a Co-porphyrin catalyst.