A metal oxide supported palladium catalyst comprised of a -Bi.sub.2O.sub.3/Bi.sub.2Sn.sub.2O.sub.7 hetero-junction catalyst support and palladium was developed. The catalyst was synthesized using a sol-gel technique as a nanocrystalline structure. In the presence of fluorene, an oxidant and ultraviolet irradiation, the catalyst converts the hydrocarbon to a mixture of fluorenol/fluorenone oxidation products. The close proximity between -Bi.sub.2O.sub.3 and Bi.sub.2Sn.sub.2O.sub.7 heterojunction phases in the catalyst is thought to be responsible for the efficient charge separation and catalytic activity. An indirect chemical probe method using active species scavengers elucidated that the photo-oxidation mechanism proceeds via holes and superoxide radical (O.sub.2..sup.) moieties.

Mesoporous and macroporous hydroconversion catalyst: a predominantly calcined alumina oxide matrix; a hydrogenating-dehydrogenating active phase with at least one VIB metal, optionally at least one VIII metal, optionally phosphorus,
said active phase being at least partly co-mixed in said predominantly calcined alumina oxide matrix.

Preparation process for a residue hydroconversion/hydrotreating catalyst by co-mixing of the active phase with a particular alumina.

Use of the catalyst in hydrotreating processes, in particular hydrotreating of heavy feedstocks.

There is described a hydroprocessing process of at least one gas oil cut having a weighted mean temperature (TMP) between 240 C. and 350 C. using a catalyst comprising at least one metal of the group VIB and/or at least one metal of the group VIII of the periodic classification and a support comprising an amorphous mesoporous alumina having a connectivity (Z) greater than 2.7, the hydroprocessing process operating at a temperature between 250 C. and 400 C., at a total pressure between 2 MPa and 10 MPa with a ratio of hydrogen volume to volume of hydrocarbon-containing feedstock between 100 and 800 litres per litre and at an Hourly Volume Rate (HVR) which is defined by the ratio of the volume flow rate of liquid hydrocarbon-containing feedstock to volume of catalyst fed into the reactor between 1 and 10 h.sup.1.

Hydrocracking catalysts and hydrocracking processes for the selective production of lube base stocks are disclosed. The hydrocracking catalyst contains a low acidity, highly dealuminated USY zeolite having a zeolite acid site density of from 1 to 100 micromole/g, a catalyst support, and one or more metals. The hydrocracking catalysts can maximize lube base stock yield while providing for effective impurity removal and VI enhancement at lower hydrocracking conversions.

The invention relates to a supported catalyst that comprises an oxide substrate that is for the most part calcined aluminum and an active phase that comprises nickel, with the nickel content being between 5 and 65% by weight of said element in relation to the total mass of the catalyst, with said active phase not comprising a metal from group VIB, the nickel particles having a diameter that is less than or equal to 20 nm, said catalyst having a median mesopore diameter of between 8 nm and 25 nm, a median macropore diameter of greater than 200 nm, a mesopore volume that is measured by mercury porosimetry that is greater than or equal to 0.30 mL/g, and a total pore volume that is measured by mercury porosimetry that is greater than or equal to 0.34 mL/g. The invention also relates to the method for preparation of said catalyst and its use in a hydrogenation method.

A self-assembled carbon structure such as a carbon opal is disclosed herein. The structure is composed of hydrophilic carbon spheres oriented in a periodic colloidal crystal structure, wherein the carbon spheres have a porous surface, wherein the carbons spheres have an average particle diameter less than 3000 nm. Also disclosed is an inverse opal structure that includes a plurality of voids in the structural material. The voids are regularly arranged in an ordered periodic structure, the voids having a spherical shape. The inverse opal structure has a specific surface area greater than 100 m.sup.2/g and method for making the same together with materials that employ the same.

A process for oxygenate conversion using a family of crystalline aluminosilicate zeolites that is a layered pentasil zeolite with a silica or fluorine modified surface. These zeolites are represented by the empirical formula:
M.sub.m.sup.n+R.sub.r.sup.p+Al.sub.1-xE.sub.xSi.sub.yO.sub.z
where M is an alkali, alkaline earth, or rare earth metal such as sodium or potassium, R can be a mixture of organoammonium cations and E is a framework element such as gallium, iron, boron, or indium. These zeolites are characterized by unique x-ray diffraction patterns and compositions and have catalytic properties for carrying out oxygenate conversion processes.

The present invention relates to a catalyst based on iron oxide for the dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons and also a process for producing it. The catalyst comprises at least one iron compound, at least one potassium compound and at least one cerium compound, wherein the at least one iron compound and the at least one potassium compound are at least partly present in the form of one or more K/Fe mixed oxide phases of the general formula K.sub.xFe.sub.yO.sub.z, where x is from 1 to 17; y is from 1 to 22 and z is from 2 to 34, where the catalyst comprises at least 20% by weight, based on the total catalyst, of the K/Fe mixed oxide phases and comprises crystalline cerium dioxide having a crystallite size in the range from 10 nm to 30 nm.

The present disclosure relates to a method that includes heating a mixture that includes a metal phenylphosphine-containing precursor that includes at least one of Mo(PPh.sub.3).sub.2(CO).sub.4, Pd(PPh.sub.3).sub.4, Ru(PPh.sub.3).sub.3Cl.sub.2, Ru(PPh.sub.3).sub.2(CO).sub.2Cl.sub.2, Co(PPh.sub.3)(CO).sub.2(NO), and/or Rh(PPh.sub.3).sub.2(CO)Cl, a surfactant, and a solvent. The heating is to a target temperature to form a heated mixture containing a metal phosphide nanoparticle that includes at least one of MoP, Ru.sub.2P, Co.sub.2P, Rh.sub.2P, and/or Pd.sub.3P, and the metal phosphide nanoparticle is not hollow.

Embodiments of processes for producing propylene utilize a dual catalyst system comprising a mesoporous silica catalyst impregnated with metal oxide and a mordenite framework inverted (MFI) structured silica catalyst downstream of the mesoporous silica catalyst, where the mesoporous silica catalyst includes a pore size distribution of at least 2.5 nm to 40 nm and a total pore volume of at least 0.600 cm.sup.3/g, and the MFI structured silica catalyst has a total acidity of 0.001 mmol/g to 0.1 mmol/g. The propylene is produced from the butene stream via metathesis by contacting the mesoporous silica catalyst and subsequent cracking by contacting the MFI structured silica catalyst.