The present invention relates to a novel linear -olefin catalyst composition, and preparation and use thereof. The catalyst composition includes a main catalyst and a co-catalyst, wherein the main catalyst is an imino-based iron coordination compound, and the co-catalyst is a mixture of methylaluminoxane, triisobutylaluminum, and borane or GaCl.sub.3. The catalyst composition can be used to catalyze ethylene oligomerization to produce linear -olefins having a selectivity of greater than 96%, carbon distribution between C4-C28 with the component of C6-C20 being greater than 75%. The catalyst of the invention is stable in structure and can be used for ethylene oligomerization with high catalytic efficiency. The method of the invention has the advantages of relatively convenient in operation, readily available of raw materials, high yield, low costs, less pollution and easy for industrial production.

Polycarbonate polyols are made by copolymerizing carbon dioxide and an alkylene oxide in the presence of a starter compound and a carbonate catalyst. The process is operated in semi-batch mode by combining starter, catalyst and a small amount of alkylene oxide in a reaction vessel, pressurizing the vessel with carbon dioxide, initiating polymerization, and then feeding both carbon dioxide and alkylene oxide to the vessel under polymerization conditions without removal of product until the feeds are completed.

Provided is an alkoxy magnesium supported olefin polymerization catalyst component, comprising the reaction products of the following components: at least one alkoxy magnesium compound of Mg(OR1)N(OR2)2-N, at least one titanium compound of general formula Ti(OR)nX4-n, at least one ortho-phenylene diester electron donor compound a, and at least one diether electron donor compound b, wherein the molar ratio of a to b is 0.05 to 20. The catalyst component has an ultrahigh polymerization activity when used for olefin polymerization, and does not require the use of an external electron donor, but can also obtain a polymer with a high isotacticity, and the resulting polymer has a relatively wide molecular weight distribution and a relatively low ash content.

The present invention relates to a selective reduction of specific aldehydes and ketones to their corresponding alcohols.

The present invention relates to a process for hydrogenating a substrate including a carbon-heteroatom double bond, the process including the step of reacting the substrate with hydrogen gas in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst, wherein the hydrogenation catalyst is a complex of formula (I): ##STR00001##
R.sub.1-10, A and Hal are as defined in the specification. The present invention also provides processes for the preparation of the complex of formula (I) and intermediates thereof.

A method of manufacturing a poly(ether-carbonate) polyol comprises a polymerization stage that includes polymerizing carbon dioxide and at least one alkylene oxide, with a starter, in the presence of a double metal cyanide polymerization catalyst and a catalyst promoter that is devoid of halide anions and cyanide. The catalyst promoter is separate from the double metal cyanide polymerization catalyst.

Disclosed is an industrial method for efficient production of an ,-difluoroaldehyde compound, which includes reaction of an ,-difluoroacetate with hydrogen gas (H.sub.2) in the presence of a ruthenium catalyst and a base. By the adoption of specific reaction conditions (catalyst, base, pressure etc.), it is possible to produce the target ,-difluoroaldehyde compound with a high conversion rate and high selectivity.

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.

The invention relates to a method for hydrosilylating an unsaturated compound comprising at least one ketone function, one aldehyde function, one alkene function and/or one alkyne function, with a compound comprising at least one hydrogenosilyl function, using an organic germanium catalyst.

Ferrocenyl-based unsymmetrical ligands containing di(1-adamantyl)phosphino groups with general formula, Fc(Ad.sub.2P) (R.sub.2P) and corresponding metal complexes, include metal halide complexes, N-biphenyl metal cationic complexes and R-allyl metal cationic complexes, useful in catalysis. The ligands and complexes overcome problems with conventional catalysts, providing new routes to previously challenging cross-coupling reactions, including CP coupling, C.sub.sp2C.sub.sp3 coupling and other conventional cross-coupling applications, while being scalable so that they can be provided in sufficient quantity and purity for industrial applications.