Highly stable high-entropy metal-organic frameworks (HEMOFs) are derived from polynuclear metal clusters, incorporating significant levels of all rare-earth metals without segregation. As an example, HEMOFs comprising nonanuclear metal clusters of rare-earth element ions with similar size and coordination chemistry connected by 1,2,4,5-tetrakis (4-carboxyphenyl) benzene linkers was developed, providing a metal-organic framework with high internal surface area and accessible Lewis acid sites. This new class of HEMOFs enables the development of multifunctional materials with tailored properties for a wide range of applications, including in catalysis. For example, these HEMOFs are highly active for CO.sub.2 fixation under mild conditions and short reaction times, outperforming existing heterogeneous catalysts.

A molecular building block composition can include a metal ion component; and a ligand component including a core including at least one functional group associated with the metal ion component and the core.

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.

The present disclosure relates to a catalyst composition comprising a first metal complex and optionally a second metal complex dispersed throughout a matrix of an inorganic material. The present disclosure also relates to a method for preparing the catalyst composition, a catalyst comprising the catalyst composition, use of the catalyst composition as a catalyst or the catalyst for converting natural gas to syngas and a method for converting natural gas to syngas using the catalyst composition as a catalyst or the catalyst.

Catalysts and methods for dinitrogen conversion to secondary silyamines or ammonia (N.sub.2RR) are provided. The catalysts are a metalacyclic platform characterized by a pocket with tunable dimensions and conditions. The catalysts show dramatically improved N.sub.2RR activity compared to previously reported early d-block catalysts. The tetraphenolate-supported bimetallic lanthanide or group IV metal complex undergoes multiple two-electron reductions, the last of which leads to the reductive activation of dinitrogen. The inclusion of a weak acid and silyl electrophiles during the reduction enables the catalytic conversion of N.sub.2 to purely secondary amines.

Methods for the solvent-free depolymerization of a polyamide are provided which, in embodiments, comprise combining a polyamide and a lanthanide-organic catalyst comprising a lanthanide metal bound to at least one ligand, to depolymerize the polyamide to a product, wherein the at least one ligand is selected from benzyl and those having a formula -EH.sub.m(XR.sub.n).sub.2. In this formula, E is selected from N, P, C, Si, Ge, and Sn; X is selected from H, N, P, C, Si, Ge, and Sn; R is selected from H, alkyl, aryl, alkoxyl, silyl, germyl, and stannyl; wherein if E is N or P, then m=0 and if E is C, Si, Ge, or Sn, then m=1; and further wherein n is from 2 to 3.

Provided is a chelate complex comprising (a) a rare earth metal cation M; (b) a chelate ligand of formula (CL1 A) or (CL1 B) c) at least one anionic nucleophilic ligand LN which is coordinated as a further ligand to the rare earth metal cation; and d) optionally one or more neutral donor ligands LD coordinated as ligands to the rare earth metal cation. Moreover, provided are a process for the preparation of a chelate complex, a process for the preparation of a polymer comprising a polymerization reaction of chiral cyclic ester monomers, and a poly(3-hydroxy butyrate) polymer which can be provided by the process.

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