Methods of synthesizing compounds using CO.sub.2 as a directing group for CH functionalization, and compounds made thereby, are described.

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.

Surface hydroxyl groups on porous and nonporous metal oxides, such as silica gel and alumina, were metalated with catalyst precursors, such as complexes of earth abundant metals (e.g., Fe, Co, Cr, Ni, Cu, Mn and Mg). The metalated metal oxide catalysts provide a versatile family of recyclable and reusable single-site solid catalysts for catalyzing a variety of organic transformations. The catalysts can also be integrated into a flow reactor or a supercritical fluid reactor.

Synthesis of organic compounds that has chirality is an important technique in the fields of pharmaceuticals, agrichemicals, health foods and the like. However, raw materials of a catalyst used for the synthesis of such compounds are expensive, and the synthesis needs many steps, so that it is difficult to reduce the cost. Linking a catalyst center to a polymer chain or a resin through an organic group enables to use the catalyst repeatedly and produce a chiral compound at low cost.

The present invention relates to a novel chiral phase-transfer catalyst, and a method for preparing an alpha-amino acid by using the same. According to the present invention, an alpha-amino acid of high optical purity could be synthesized in a high yield under an easy industrially applicable reaction condition by using a novel cinchona alkaloid compound as a chiral phase-transfer catalyst, and thus the present invention can be used as a key technique of the asymmetric alpha-amino acid synthesis and preparation field.

Catalytic processes employing rhodium complexes are disclosed, wherein the catalytic processes involve an initial step of activation of a CH bond present within a hydrocarbon substrate. In contrast to prior art techniques, the catalytic processes of the invention can be conducted at low temperatures, and the catalytic compounds are themselves highly recyclable. Also disclosed are the rhodium complexes themselves and processes of making them.

Processes for producing an ,-unsaturated carboxylic acid, such as acrylic acid, or a salt thereof, using treated solid oxides are disclosed. The treated solid oxides can be calcined solid oxides, metal-treated solid oxides, or metal-treated chemically-modified solid oxides, illustrative examples of which can include sodium-treated alumina, calcium-treated alumina, zinc-treated alumina, sodium-treated sulfated alumina, sodium-treated fluorided silica-coated alumina, and similar materials.

A process for making methyl esters in high yields. The process comprises contacting aliphatic or aromatic aldehydes and methanol with a homogeneous dimeric ruthenium catalyst, to catalyze the dehydrogenative coupling between aliphatic or aromatic aldehydes and methanol. The reaction is highly selective (<99.9%) toward the formation of methyl esters over homoesters and alcohols and operates at temperatures of less than 100 C. for 2-8 hours.

Compositions and methods of use related to metal organic frameworks (MOFs) and/or nanoparticles are generally described. In some embodiments, methods and compositions for the catalytic upgrading of alcohols using MOFs and/or nanoparticles associated with MOFs are generally described. In some embodiments, a catalytic MOF composition is provided, wherein the MOF composition comprises a MOF compound and a plurality of metal catalytic compounds. In some embodiments, an alcohol may be exposed to the MOF composition and/or a plurality of nanoparticles associated with the MOF composition such that the alcohol is converted to a higher order alcohol. Advantageously, in some embodiments, the alcohol conversion occurs at a relatively high turnover frequency and/or with a relatively high selectivity as compared to traditional methods for converting alcohols.

The present invention relates to a novel chiral phase-transfer catalyst, and a method for preparing an alpha-amino acid by using the same. According to the present invention, an alpha-amino acid of high optical purity could be synthesized in a high yield under an easy industrially applicable reaction condition by using a novel cinchona alkaloid compound as a chiral phase-transfer catalyst, and thus the present invention can be used as a key technique of the asymmetric alpha-amino acid synthesis and preparation field.