The present invention provides compounds produced by the reaction of glycidyl ethers and glycidyl esters with ether compounds including N,N,N-trimethyl-bis-(aminoethyl) ether. N,N,N-trimethyl-bis-(aminoethyl) ether and its derivatives can be used as polyurethane catalysts.

The present invention is directed to a process for preparing a double metal cyanide catalyst of Formula I (M.sub.a[M(CN).sub.cZ.sub.w].sub.b.zA), wherein M is a main group or transition metal cation, M is a main group or transition metal cation, which can be the same or different from M, Z is an anion or ligand other than cyanide, A is an amphiphilic agent selected from heteroatom-containing organic compounds having at least one polar head group and an aliphatic, aromatic or partially aromatic moiety having a number of 6 to 42 carbon atoms, w is an integer greater than or equal to 0, but lower than c; a, b and c are integers greater than or equal to 1 so that catalyst (I) is electrically neutral, and z is a number from 0 to 12, which process comprises (a) reacting a metal salt of Formula II (M.sub.eX.sub.f), wherein X is an anion and e and f are integers greater than or equal to 1 so that metal salt (II) is electrically neutral, with a cyanometallate complex of Formula III (D.sub.g[M(CN).sub.c].sub.b), wherein D is a cation and g is an integer greater than or equal to 1 so that complex (III) is electrically neutral, and M, Z, c, w and b are defined as described above, in the presence of the amphiphilic agent A and optionally a solvent L to obtain a double metal cyanide adduct of Formula IV (M.sub.a[M(CN).sub.c].sub.b.xA.yL), wherein x is a number greater than or equal to 1 and y is a number greater than or equal to 0; and (b) thermally treating the adduct (IV) to obtain the double metal cyanide catalyst of Formula (I).

A catalyst containing at least one amidine or guanidine group of formula (Ia) or (Ib), which is bound to a silicon atom of a siloxane residue. At room temperature, the catalyst is liquid and odorless. It is particularly suitable as a cross-linking catalyst for curable compositions, in particular for silane group-containing compositions. It is particularly good at accelerating the hardening of such compositions without impairing stability in storage, and displays little volatility but good compatibility. As a result, the compositions do not tend towards separation or migration or evaporation of the catalyst.

This invention disclosure relates to a process to make flexible open cell polyurethane foam with optimum mechanical properties and lowest chemical emissions. Using the selection of tertiary amine catalysts together with a group of carboxylic acids according to this disclosure can produce foam products with optimum properties and lowest chemical emanations.

A titanium-oxo-chelate catalyst formulation, comprising: (i) at least one compound of the formula (I), wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5, R.sub.6, R.sub.7, R.sub.8, R.sub.9, R.sub.10, R.sub.11 and R.sub.12 independently of each other are for example hydrogen, halogen, C.sub.1-C.sub.20alkyl, C.sub.6-C.sub.14aryl which is unsubstituted or substituted; or R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 and/or R.sub.4, R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 and/or R.sub.7, R.sub.8 and R.sub.9 and/or R.sub.10, R.sub.11 and R.sub.12 together with the C-atom to which they are attached each form a C.sub.6-C.sub.14aryl group which is unsubstituted or substituted; or R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 and/or R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 and/or R.sub.7 and R.sub.8 and/or R.sub.10 and R.sub.11 together with the C-atom to which they are attached form a 5- to 7-membered carbocyclic ring; at least one chelate ligand compound of the formula (IIa), (IIb) or (IIc), wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 are defined as above for formula (I), is suitable as a photolatent catalyst formulation for polymerizing compounds, which are capable to crosslink in the presence of a Lewis acid.

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The present invention concerns a catalyst formulation comprising: (a) a Zn catalyst comprising a Zn compound having alcoholate ligand(s) derived from one or more polyols, and (b) a catalyst additive comprising a metal compound (i) having alcoholate ligand(s) derived from one or monohydric alcohol wherein the metal is selected from: (I) group 13 metals, preferably B, Al, Ga, and In, more preferably Al, (II) combinations of Al with group 14 metals or semi-metals, preferably a combination of Al and Si, and (III) combinations of at least two metals selected from (I) and (II). The present invention also relates to a process for polymerizing an epoxide monomer, preferably ethylene oxide, comprising carrying out the process in the presence of the catalyst formulation.

A process for producing polymer-supported metal nanoparticles involves confinement of metal nanoparticles in polymeric nanotubes or nanosheets in an aqueous environment using hydrophobic reactants. Metal nanoparticles supported in the polymeric nanotubes or nanosheets are substantially monodisperse and have an average particle size of 4 nm or less. The polymer-supported metal nanoparticles are useful in fuel cells, sensors, bioanalysis, biological labeling or semi-conductors, especially as catalysts.

The invention relates to DMC catalysts comprising polyether siloxanes, to processes for preparation thereof, to the use thereof, and to the DMC catalysts obtainable by the processes according to the invention.

The present invention provides compounds produced by the reaction of glycidyl ethers and glycidyl esters with ether compounds including N,N,N-trimethyl-bis-(aminoethyl)ether. N,N,N-trimethyl-bis-(aminoethyl)ether and its derivatives can be used as polyurethane catalysts.

In one aspect, the present disclosure encompasses polymerization systems for the copolymerization of CO.sub.2 and epoxides comprising 1) a catalyst including a metal coordination compound having a permanent ligand set and at least one ligand that is a polymerization initiator, and 2) a chain transfer agent having one or more sites capable of initiating copolymerization of epoxides and CO.sub.2, wherein the chain transfer agent contains one or more masked hydroxyl groups. In a second aspect, the present disclosure encompasses methods for the synthesis of polycarbonate polyols using the inventive polymerization systems. In a third aspect, the present disclosure encompasses polycarbonate polyol compositions characterized in that the polymer chains have a high percentage of OH end groups, a high percentage of carbonate linkages, and substantially all polycarbonate chains having hydroxyl end groups have no embedded chain transfer agent.