The present disclosure relates in part to novel complexes of unsymmetrical N-heterocylic carbene (NHC) ligands and group 10 or 11 metals. The present disclosure further relates to methods of electrophilic functionalization of alkynes and/or nitriles using the NHC catalysts described herein.

A catalyst including gold, or a compound thereof, and sulphur, a compound of sulphur, trichloroisocyanuric acid or a metal dichloroisocyanurate on a support, together with a process for manufacturing the catalyst and its use in a chemical process are described.

A method for the production of hydrocarbon(s), such as methane, substituted hydrocarbons, such as methanol, or the production of hydrogen, the method comprising the steps of contacting a first catalyst with water in order to photocatalyse the splitting of at least some of the water into hydrogen and oxygen; and contacting a second catalyst with a gas stream comprising carbon dioxide and at least some of the hydrogen produced from step (a) in order to photocatalyse the reaction between the hydrogen and carbon dioxide to produce hydrocarbon(s), such as methane, and/or substituted hydrocarbons, such as methanol. In an embodiment, the catalyst comprises gold and or ruthenium nanoclusters supported on a substrate.

The present invention relates to a method of preparing ortho substituted phenols from 2,5-dimethylfuran and propargyl ethers in the presence of a gold(I) complex. It is particularly advantageous to use 2,5-dimethylfuran as this offers an ecological beneficial synthesis of said ortho substituted phenols.

The present invention relates to improvements in known gold containing catalysts. In particular, the present invention relates to improving the stability and/or inhibition of deactivation of gold containing catalysts via the addition of an inorganic oxide, hydroxide, oxo-salt or oxo-acid. There is also disclosed a method for preparing said catalyst most suitably via an impregnation method. Such catalysts are useful in the production of vinyl chloride monomer.

The present invention relates to an improved method for producing of 1-(5,5-dimethylcyclohex-1-en-1-yl)ethanone and 1-(5,5-dimethylcyclohex-6-en-1-yl)ethanone.

The present invention deals with the synthesis and applications of new cationic compounds being useful as metal ligands. Specifically, N-alkyl/aryl substituted pyridiniophosphines are prepared and used as ligands for transition metals. The so-obtained metal complexes and their use as catalysts in chemical synthesis is also described. It also worth mentioning that N-alkyl/aryl pyridiniophosphines can be synthesized through a short, scalable and highly modular route.

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.

The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of an optically pure (+) or (?) enantiomer of an iminium salt having the formula (I), aid process comprising the following steps: a) a reduction step of an iminium salt having the formula (II), said salt being in the form of a racemic mixture, in order to obtain a compound having the formula (III) in the form of a racemic mixture, b) a step of chiral HPLC separation of the compound of formula (III) in the form of a racemic mixture, for obtaining an optically pure (+) or (?) enantiomer compound having the formula (IV), and c) an oxidation step of the compound of formula (IV) for obtaining the compound of formula (I).