Provided is a process for producing an optically active hydroxyaldehyde or aminohydroxyaldehyde. The process for producing an optically active hydroxyaldehyde or aminohydroxyaldehyde is characterized by reacting an aldehyde or an imine with a boric acid enol ester in the presence of a copper compound and an optically active bidentate phosphine compound.

The invention relates to chiral imidodiphosphates and derivatives thereof having the general formula I, ##STR00001## The compounds are suitable as chiral Brønsted acid catalysts, phase-transfer catalysts, chiral anions for organic salts, metal salts or metal complexes for catalysis.

An aluminum catalyst is obtained by reacting at least one compound of a specific alkylaluminum compound and a specific hydridoaluminum compound with a specific hydroxy compound. The specific hydroxyl compound is a specific 2-cycloalkyl-6-arylphenol or a specific di(2-cycloalkyl-6-arylphenol). A method for producing isopulegol or optically active isopulegol includes selectively cyclizing citronellal using the aluminum catalyst.

The present invention relates to air stable, binary Ni(0)-olefin complexes and their use in organic synthesis.

Methods of producing an isomerization catalyst include preparing a catalyst precursor solution, hydrothermally treating the catalyst precursor solution to produce a magnesium oxide precipitant, calcining the magnesium oxide precipitant to produce an isomerization catalyst precursor, soaking the isomerization catalyst precursor in an acid solution comprising sulfuric acid to product a isomerization catalyst precursor precipitant, and calcining the isomerization catalyst precursor precipitant to produce the isomerization catalyst. The catalyst precursor solution includes at least a magnesium precursor, a hydrolyzing agent, and cetrimonium bromide. Methods of producing 1-butene from a 2-butene-containing feedstock with the isomerization catalyst are also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a process for the one-pot hydrogenation and dehydration or isomerization of an organic compound, and to a catalyst composition for this process comprising transition metal particles having particle size below 50 nm supported on a material comprising at least one fluorinated polymer (P), wherein polymer (P) bears —SO.sub.2X functional groups, X being selected from X′ and OM, X′ being selected from the groups consisting of F, Cl, Br and I; and M being selected from the group consisting of H, and alkaline metal and NH.sub.4.

A process for producing isomerized olefins, branched aldehydes, branched alcohols and branched surfactants through isomerization, hydroformylation, hydrogenation and surfactant forming reactions.

A process for producing branched alcohols through isomerization, hydroformylation and hydrogenation.

Described herein are methods of preparing poly(alkylene carbonate) polymers comprising an increased ratio of primary hydroxyl end groups to secondary hydroxyl end groups, and compositions thereof.

A process for producing isomerized olefins, branched aldehydes, branched alcohols, branched surfactants and other branched derivatives through isomerization, hydroformylation, hydrogenation, surfactant forming reactions and other derivative forming reactions.