The present invention provides unimolecular metal complexes having increased activity in the copolymerization of carbon dioxide and epoxides. Also provided are methods of using such metal complexes in the synthesis of polymers. According to one aspect, the present invention provides metal complexes comprising an activating species with catalytic activity tethered to a ligand that is coordinated to the active metal center of the complex.

This invention relates generally to olefin metathesis catalysts, to the preparation of such compounds, compositions comprising such compounds, methods of using such compounds, and the use of such compounds in the metathesis of olefins and in the synthesis of related olefin metathesis catalysts. The invention has utility in the fields of catalysis, organic synthesis, polymer chemistry, and in industrial applications such as oil and gas, fine chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.

An isopoly-vanadic acid coordination polymer catalyst, method of manufacturing the same, and application thereof are provided. The isopoly-vanadic acid coordination polymer catalyst has a chemical formula of [Co(atrz)(V.sub.2O.sub.6)]. The atrz is a 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole ligand, and [V.sub.2O.sub.6] is a binuclear vanadate anion. The isopoly-vanadic acid coordination polymer catalyst shows strong thermal stability, and it is easy to synthesize with high reproducibility. The isopoly-vanadic acid coordination polymer catalyst has a good catalytic activity towards the bulk ring-opening of p-dioxanone. The resulting poly(p-dioxanone) is stable and uniform. The high molecular weight of the resulting poly(p-dioxanone) has great potential in high polymer materials, in particular the field of medical high polymer materials.

The invention concerns ionic compounds in which the anionic load has been delocalized. A compound disclosed by the invention is comprised of an amide or one of its salts, including an anionic portion combined with at least one cationic portion M.sup.+m in sufficient numbers to ensure overall electronic neutrality; the compound is further comprised of M as a hydroxonium, a nitrosonium NO.sup.+, an ammonium NH.sub.4.sup.+, a metallic cation with the valence m, an organic cation with the valence m, or an organometallic cation with the valence m. The anionic portion matches the formula R.sub.FSO.sub.xN.sup.?Z, where R.sub.F is a perflourinated group, x is 1 or 3, and Z is an electroattractive substituent. The compounds can be used notably for ionic conducting materials, electronic conducting materials, colorants and the catalysis of various chemical reactions.

The present invention is directed to processes for catalyzing two or more chemical reactions with a multifunctional catalyst in a reaction vessel. The processes include steps for introducing one or more reagents to a reaction vessel containing a multifunctional catalyst; contacting the one or more reagents with a first portion of the multifunctional catalyst to produce an intermediate; contacting the intermediate with a second portion of the multifunctional catalyst to produce a product; and removing the product from the reaction vessel. In certain embodiments, the multifunctional catalyst may have a first portion with carbonylation functionality for catalyzing the production of a beta-lactone intermediate from an epoxide reagent and a carbon monoxide reagent. In certain embodiments, the multifunctional catalyst may have a second portion with a functionality suitable for polymerization, co-polymerization, and/or modification of a beta-lactone intermediate. In preferred embodiments, the first portion and second portion are bonded to a heterogenous support.

The present invention is directed to catalysts and processes for catalyzing two or more chemical reactions with a multifunctional catalyst in a reaction vessel. The processes include steps for introducing one or more reagents to a reaction vessel containing a multifunctional catalyst; contacting the one or more reagents with a first portion of the multifunctional catalyst to produce an intermediate; contacting the intermediate with a second portion of the multifunctional catalyst to produce a product; and removing the product from the reaction vessel. In certain embodiments, the multifunctional catalyst may have a first portion with carbonylation functionality for catalyzing the production of a beta-lactone intermediate from an epoxide reagent and a carbon monoxide reagent. In certain embodiments, the multifunctional catalyst may have a second portion with a functionality suitable for polymerization, co-polymerization, and/or modification of a beta-lactone intermediate. In preferred embodiments, the first portion and second portion are bonded to a heterogenous support.

A method of carrying out a metathesis reaction includes the combination of at least one alkene or non conjugated diene with a Ruthenium-based catalyst with an cyclic(alkyl)(amino)carbene ligand to form a reaction mixture and heating the reaction mixture to a temperature of 100 C. or greater. The reaction can be an ADMET, ROMP, a metathesis ring-closure or an olefin exchange reaction.

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention encompass compositions encompassing a latent catalyst and a thermal or photoactivator along with one or more monomers which undergo ring open metathesis polymerization (ROMP) when said composition is heated to a temperature from 50 C. to 100 C. or higher to form a substantially transparent film. Alternatively the compositions of this invention also undergo polymerization when subjected to suitable radiation. The monomers employed therein have a range of refractive index from 1.4 to 1.6 and thus these compositions can be tailored to form transparent films of varied refractive indices. The compositions of this invention further comprises inorganic nanoparticles which form transparent films and further increases the refractive indices of the compositions. Accordingly, compositions of this invention are useful in various opto-electronic applications, including as coatings, encapsulants, fillers, leveling agents, among others.

The present disclosure provides cis-polycycloolefins and methods for forming cis-polycycloolefins typically having 50% or greater cis carbon-carbon double bonds comprising contacting a first cyclic hydrocarbyl monomer with a catalyst represented by Formula (I):

##STR00001##

wherein: M is a group 8 metal; Q.sup.1, Q.sup.2, and Q.sup.3 are independently oxygen or sulfur; each of R.sup.1 and R.sup.4 is a halogen; R.sup.9 is C.sub.1-C.sub.40 hydrocarbyl or C.sub.1-C.sub.40 substituted hydrocarbyl; and each of R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.5, R.sup.6, R.sup.7, R.sup.8, R.sup.10, R.sup.11, R.sup.12, R.sup.13, R.sup.14, R.sup.15, R.sup.16, R.sup.17, R.sup.18, and R.sup.19 is independently hydrogen, halogen, C.sub.1-C.sub.40 hydrocarbyl or C.sub.1-C.sub.40 substituted hydrocarbyl. In at least one embodiment, a polycyclopentene has 50% or greater cis carbon-carbon double bonds.

The present invention relates to a catalyst composition for curing epoxy group containing compounds comprising a base and a quaternary ammonium salt, of Formula (I): ##STR00001##
with R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, Y, A and X being as defined herein. Also encompassed are adhesive compositions containing said catalyst composition and the use of the catalyst composition.