The present invention is directed to catalysts and processes for catalyzing two or more chemical reactions with a multifunctional catalyst in a reaction vessel. The processes include steps for introducing one or more reagents to a reaction vessel containing a multifunctional catalyst; contacting the one or more reagents with a first portion of the multifunctional catalyst to produce an intermediate; contacting the intermediate with a second portion of the multifunctional catalyst to produce a product; and removing the product from the reaction vessel. In certain embodiments, the multifunctional catalyst may have a first portion with carbonylation functionality for catalyzing the production of a beta-lactone intermediate from an epoxide reagent and a carbon monoxide reagent. In certain embodiments, the multifunctional catalyst may have a second portion with a functionality suitable for polymerization, co-polymerization, and/or modification of a beta-lactone intermediate. In preferred embodiments, the first portion and second portion are bonded to a heterogenous support.

The invention concerns a method for manufacturing of an electrocatalyst comprising a porous carbon support material, a catalytic material in the form of at least one type of metal, and macrocyclic compounds chemically bound to the carbon support and capable of forming complexes with single metal ions of said metal or metals, said method comprising the steps of: i) providing a template capable of acting as pore structure directing agent during formation of a highly porous electrically conducting templated carbon substrate, ii) mixing the template with one or several precursor substances of the catalytic material, the macrocyclic compounds and carbon, iii) exposing the mixture of the template and the precursor substances to a carbonization process during which the precursors react and transform the mixture into a carbonized template composite in winch the carbon part of the composite is chemically bound to macrocyclic compounds present in complexes with the metal or metals. The invention also concerns an electrocatalyst for electrochemical reactions, a method for manufacturing of a membrane electrode assembly using such an electrocatalyst and to a fuel cell making use of such an electrocatalyst.

A nanofibrous catalyst for in the electrolyzer and methods of making the catalyst. The catalysts are composed of highly porous transition metal carbonitrides, metal oxides or perovskites derived from the metal-organic frameworks and integrated into a 3D porous nano-network electrode architecture. The catalysts are low-cost, highly active toward OER, with excellent conductivity yet resistant to the oxidation under high potential operable under both acidic and alkaline environments.

An ethylene/butadiene copolymer comprising statistically distributed ethylene units and butadiene units is provided. The molar fraction of the ethylene units in the copolymer is greater than or equal to 50%, relative to the total number of moles of ethylene and butadiene units. The microstructure of the copolymer is homogeneous.

A process for preparing such a copolymer and also the uses of this copolymer, in particular in rubber compositions for tires is also provided.

Metal-organic framework (MOFs) compositions based on postsynthetic metalation of secondary building unit (SBU) terminal or bridging OH or OH.sub.2 groups with metal precursors or other post-synthetic manipulations are described. The MOFs provide a versatile family of recyclable and reusable single-site solid catalysts for catalyzing a variety of asymmetric organic transformations, including the regioselective boryiation and siiylation of benzyiic CH bonds, the hydrogenation of aikenes, imines, carbonyls, nitroarenes, and heterocycles, hydroboration, hydrophosphination, and cyclization reactions. The solid catalysts can also be integrated into a flow reactor or a supercritical fluid reactor.

A catalyst including: neodymium; sodium; and a ligand, which is a compound expressed by Structural Formula (1) below, wherein the neodymium and the ligand form a complex at a molar ratio of 1:2 (neodymium:ligand):

##STR00001##

The invention concerns a method for manufacturing of an electrocatalyst comprising a porous carbon support material, a catalytic material in the form of at least one type of metal, and macrocyclic compounds chemically bound to the carbon support and capable of forming complexes with single metal ions of said metal or metals, said method comprising the steps of: i) providing a template capable of acting as pore structure directing agent during formation of a highly porous electrically conducting templated carbon substrate, ii) mixing the template with one or several precursor substances of the catalytic material, the macrocyclic compounds and carbon, iii) exposing the mixture of the template and the precursor substances to a carbonization process during which the precursors react and transform the mixture into a carbonized template composite in which the carbon part of the composite is chemically bound to macrocyclic compounds present in complexes with the metal or metals. The invention also concerns an electrocatalyst for electrochemical reactions, a method for manufacturing of a membrane electrode assembly using such an electrocatalyst and to a fuel cell making use of such an electrocatalyst.

A series of isoreticular metal-organic frameworks composed of metal nodes connected by rigid trigonal prismatic organic linkers and having a 6,12-coordinatled alb network topology are provided. Also provided are methods of synthesizing the metal-organic frameworks and methods of using the metal-organic frameworks to catalyze the hydrolysis of organic molecules, such as nerve agents, having hydrolysable bonds.

Methods of synthesizing cerium oxide and polyaniline nanocomposites, including nanospheres enclosing a hollow core, are specified. Properties of the cerium oxide and polyaniline nanocomposites are described, as well as a method of using the nanocomposites as photocatalysts for the reduction of an aromatic nitro compound using visible light. A method for reusing the nanocomposites as photocatalysts is also discussed.

A 1,2-regioselective organolanthanide-catalyzed azine dearomatization process using pinacolborane is disclosed.