Some embodiments of the invention include methods of using a compound (e.g., Formula (I)) for the reduction of carbon dioxide to formate by contacting the carbon dioxide with a composition comprising a compound. In certain embodiments, the source of the carbon dioxide is air or is flue gas. Additional embodiments of the invention are also discussed herein.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) may have Zn(II), Pb(II), and/or Cd(II) as a central metal ion; a 4,4-bipyridylethylene (bpe) ligand as a first ligand; and fumaric acid (fum) and/or oxalic acid (ox) as a second ligand, wherein the 4,4-bipyridylethylene ligands are stacked in the MOF, and wherein a distance between two consecutive 4,4-bipyridylethylene ligands is less than 5 . Cycloadditions, particularly photoinduced [2+2] cycloadditions may be catalyzed by such MOFs, and/or the conversion of photoinduced [2+2] cycloadditions in inventive MOFs may be increased by mechanical force, such as by grinding.

Metal ion-directed carboxylic acid functionalized polyoxometalate hybrid compounds, and their preparation method and applications in catalyzing the degradation of chemical warfare agent simulants. In the synthesis, Na.sub.2MoO.sub.4, p-hydroxybenzonic acid (PHBA), alanine (Ala), KCl, transition metal cations and As.sub.2O.sub.3 as raw materials and water are used as solvent. At room temperature, 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES) and the prepared polyoxometalate hybrid compounds were mixed together in anhydrous ethanol and stirred, and H.sub.2O.sub.2 was subsequently added into the reaction system. The catalytic reaction for the degradation of CEES was finished within 5 min under stirring. In the catalytic hydrolysis of diethyl cyanophosphonate (DECP), the catalyst, DECP, DMF and H.sub.2O were put together and mixed fully. The prepared polyoxometalate hybrid compounds have the advantages of high conversion, high selectivity and easy recyclability in catalyzing the degradation of two types of chemical warfare agent simulant.

The present invention discloses a process for the photocatalytic splitting of water using self-assembled metalloporphyrin 2D-sheet of formula (I) to form hydrogen and oxygen.

Disclosed is a zinc-imidazole complex mixed catalyst. Also disclosed are a method for preparing the zinc-imidazole complex mixed catalyst and a method for producing a methyl N-phenyl carbamate in high yield with high selectivity in the presence of the catalyst. The zinc-imidazole complex mixed catalyst can be reused due to its high reaction stability. In addition, the use of the zinc-imidazole complex mixed catalyst leads to a marked improvement in the production yield of a methyl N-phenyl carbamate with high selectivity.

Novel compositions of matter based on homopiperazine precursor materials and forming a homopiperazine-based ligand are disclosed, along with suitable techniques and materials for the synthesis and utilization thereof. In particular various synthetic schemes and techniques for applying the disclosed compositions of matter as a decontaminating agent. The decontaminating agents include homopiperazine-based ligand-metal complexes that are particularly effective at neutralizing toxicity of nerve agents, pesticides, and other toxic organophosphorus-based compounds. In preferred approaches, the homopiperazine-based ligand-metal complexes act as catalysts to facilitate substitution of a leaving group of the organophosphorus-based compound with a functional group that does not permit the organophosphorus-based compound to inactivate acetylcholinesterase upon introduction of the organophosphorus-based compound to a living organism such as insects and mammals. Advantageously, the catalytic homopiperazine-based ligand-metal complexes are formed using inexpensive, readily-available precursor materials, and may be utilized to neutralize toxins without relying on damaging caustic reactants or environmentally unfriendly organic solvents.

The present invention provides a vinyl alcohol-vinyl acetate copolymer having excellent solubility and a method for producing a vinyl alcohol-vinyl acetate copolymer. Provided is a vinyl alcohol-vinyl acetate copolymer including a unit of vinyl alcohol and a unit of vinyl acetate, the vinyl alcohol-vinyl acetate copolymer having a randomness value R of 0.5 or higher, the randomness value R being obtained using the following equation (1): $\begin{array}{cc}R=\frac{1}{L_A}+\frac{1}{L_O}& \left(1\right)\end{array}$
where L.sub.O represents a mean chain length of the unit of vinyl alcohol and L.sub.A represents a mean chain length of the unit of vinyl acetate.

The present invention relates to an organic zinc catalyst which exhibits more improved catalytic activity than conventional organic zinc catalysts during a polymerization process for the preparation of a polyalkylene carbonate resin and is capable of preventing an aggregation phenomenon during a reaction, a method for preparing the same, and a method for preparing a polyalkylene carbonate resin using the organic zinc catalyst.

The method for preparing an organic zinc catalyst includes the step of reacting a zinc precursor with a dicarboxylic acid in the presence of a polyether derivative to form a zinc dicarboxylate-based catalyst.

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a method for making cannabidiol. Also disclosed herein are embodiments of a composition comprising cannabidiol and one or more GRAS components. The method and composition embodiments described herein address the drawbacks associated with conventional methods for making and/or isolating cannabidiol.

A zinc-based metal organic framework and method of making is described. The zinc-based metal organic framework is in the form of an interpenetrating diamondoid framework where each Zn.sup.2+ ion center is linked with four other Zn.sup.2+ ion centers in a distorted tetrahedral geometry. The linking occurs through diamine and dicarboxylic acid linkers. The zinc-based metal organic framework may be deposited on a transparent conducting film and used as a photoelectrode for photoelectrochemical water splitting.