Described herein is the fusion of two families of unique carbon-containing molecules that readily disregard the tendency of carbon to form four chemical bonds, namely N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) and carborane anions. Deprotonation of an anionic imidazolium salt with lithium diisopropylamide at room temperature leads to a mixture of lithium complexes of C-2 and C-5 dianionic NHC constitutional isomers as well as a trianionic (C-2, C-5) adduct. Judicious choice of the base and reaction conditions allows for the selective formation of all three stable polyanionic carbenes. In solution, the so-called abnormal C-5 NHC lithium complex slowly isomerizes to the normal C-2 NHC, and the process can be proton catalyzed by the addition of the anionic imidazolium salt. These results indicate that the combination of two unusual forms of carbon atoms can lead to unexpected chemical behavior, and that this strategy paves the way for the development of a broad new generation of NHC ligands for catalysis.

One embodiment of the invention provides polyisobutylene (PIB) oligomers that are end-functionalized with ruthenium (Ru) catalysts. Such nonpolar catalysts can be dissolved in nonpolar solvents such as heptane, or any other nonpolar solvent that is otherwise not latently biphasic (i.e., if two or more solvent components are present, they remain miscible with each other throughout the entire reaction process, from the addition of substrate through to the removal of product). Substrate that is dissolved in the nonpolar solvent with the catalyst is converted into product. The lower solubility of the product in the nonpolar solvent renders it easily removable, either by extraction with a more polar solvent or by applying physical means in cases where the product precipitates from the nonpolar solvent. In this manner the catalysts are recycled; since the catalysts remain in the nonpolar solvent, a new reaction can be initiated simply by dissolving fresh substrate into the nonpolar solvent.

The present invention relates to supported metal catalysts, wherein the catalysts are modified by at least one amine, a method for the preparation thereof and hydrogenation processes utilising the supported metal catalysts.

The present disclosure provides N-heterocyclic carbene ligands, catalyst complexes thereof, and methods using same. The present disclosure further provides synthetic methods of preparing the N-heterocyclic carbene ligands and catalyst complexes disclosed herein.

Catalysts include five-membered nitrogen containing heterocyclic compounds as ligands for metal ions which have catalytic activity. The catalysts are used to electrolessly plate metal on metal clad and un-clad substrates.

Pyrazine derivatives which contain one or more electron donating groups on the ring are used as catalytic metal complexing agents in aqueous alkaline environments to catalyze electroless metal plating on metal clad and un-clad substrates. The catalysts are monomers and free of tin and antioxidants.

Use of transition metal complexes of the formula (I) in organic light-emitting diodes

##STR00001## where: M.sup.1 is a metal atom; carbene is a carbene ligand; L is a monoanionic or dianionic ligand; K is an uncharged monodentate or bidentate ligand selected from the group consisting of phosphines; CO; pyridines; nitriles and conjugated dienes which form a complex with M.sup.1; n is the number of carbene ligands and is at least 1; m is the number of ligands L, where m can be 0 or 1; o is the number of ligands K, where o can be 0 or 1; where the sum n+m+o is dependent on the oxidation state and coordination number of the metal atom and on the denticity of the ligands carbene, L and K and also on the charge on the ligands carbene and L, with the proviso that n is at least 1, and also
an OLED comprising these transition metal complexes, a light-emitting layer comprising these transition metal complexes, OLEDs comprising this light-emitting layer, devices comprising an OLED according to the present invention, and specific transition metal complexes comprising at least two carbene ligands.

The present invention is intended to provide a method for efficiently producing and providing a compound having a spirooxindole skeleton, for example, a compound having a spirooxindole skeleton and having antitumor activity that inhibits the interaction between Mdm2 protein and p53 protein, or an intermediate thereof, using an asymmetric catalyst. A compound having an optically active tricyclic dispiroindole skeleton is efficiently obtained through a catalytic asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction using ketimine as a reaction substrate and using a chiral ligand and a Lewis acid.

Pyrazine derivatives which contain one or more electron donating groups on the ring are used as catalytic metal complexing agents in aqueous alkaline environments to catalyze electroless metal plating on metal clad and un-clad substrates. The catalysts are monomers and free of tin and antioxidants.

A non-aqueous metal catalytic composition includes (a) a silver complex comprising reducible silver ions, (b) an oxyazinium salt silver ion photoreducing agent, (c) a hindered pyridine, (d) a photocurable component, a non-curable polymer, or combination of a photocurable component and a non-curable polymer, and (e) a photo sensitizer different from all components (a) through (d) in the non-aqueous metal catalytic composition, in an amount of at least 1 weight %. This non-aqueous metal catalytic composition can be used to form silver metal particles in situ during suitable reducing conditions. The silver metal can be provided in a suitable layer or pattern on a substrate, which can then be subsequently subjected to electroless plating to form electrically-conductive layers or patterns for use in various articles or as touch screen displays in electronic devices.