Systems and methods for producing a non-phthalate based plasticizer. The systems and methods involve dissolving a carboxylic acid and/or anhydride thereof in an alcohol at a temperature below the melting point of the carboxylic anhydride. An advantage of the method is reduced energy consumption compared to conventional methods that require melting the carboxylic anhydride. Furthermore, the method enables the production of non-phthalate based plasticizer in an existing phthalate based plasticizer production facility with minimal modification, thereby reducing capital expenditure.

A process for synthesizing at least one levulinate ester, said process comprising the reaction of furfuryl alcohol with at least one other alcohol in the presence of water and at least one catalyst, said furfuryl alcohol being present in a quantity of at least 5% by weight, based on the total weight of the alcohols, and said catalyst comprising at least one triflate ligand and at least one metal selected from bismuth, gallium, aluminum, tin and iron.

The present invention provides a method for preparing 1,5-pentanediol via hydrogenolysis of tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol. The catalyst used in the method is prepared by supporting a noble metal and a promoter on an organic polymer supporter or an inorganic hybrid material supporter, wherein the supporter is functionalized by a nitrogen-containing ligand. When the catalyst is used in the hydrogenolysis of tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol to prepare 1,5-pentanediol, a good reaction activity and a high selectivity can be achieved. The promoter and the nitrogen-containing ligand in the supporter are bound to the catalyst through coordination, thereby the loss of the promoter is significantly decreased, and the catalyst has a particularly high stability. The lifetime investigation of the catalyst, which has been reused many times or used continuously for a long term, suggests that the catalyst has no obvious change in performance, thus reducing the overall process production cost.

A process for synthesizing at least one levulinate ester, said process comprising the reaction of furfuryl alcohol with at least one other alcohol in the presence of water and at least one catalyst, said furfuryl alcohol being present in a quantity of at least 5% by weight, based on the total weight of the alcohols, and said catalyst comprising at least one triflate ligand and at least one metal selected from bismuth, gallium, aluminum, tin and iron.

Described herein is a supported organotin catalyst and a preparation method for a sucrose-6-carboxylate. The supported organotin catalyst is prepared by coupling an organotin functional group to an inorganic carrier. The supported organotin catalyst of the present application can be used for catalyzing the generation of a sucrose-6-carboxylate, and after reaction, the supported organotin catalyst can be directly filtered and recovered only by adding a small amount of water to quench an acylating agent, so that the subsequent dehydration process is simpler and easier, and the supported organotin catalyst is thus very economical in terms of manpower, equipment and energy.

The present invention relates to catalyst compositions comprising nanoparticles comprising one or more elements selected from a group 10 element, cocatalysts, catalyst promoters and organic molecules as organic stabilizing agents, in adequate porous supports. The invention also includes a particular mode of preparing the catalyst composition and the use of the catalyst in selective non-oxidative dehydrogenation of alkanes.

The invention relates to a new dialkyl tin oxide catalyst composition and its use for the synthesis of amino alkyl (meth)acrylates by transesterification from an alkyl (meth)acrylates and an amino alcohol, and especially 2-dimethylaminoethyl (meth)acrylate. The invention also relates to polymers made with quaternized amino alkyl (meth)acrylates and use of said polymers in water treatment, sludge dewatering, papermaking process, agriculture, cosmetic and detergency composition, textile process, oil and gas recovery process such as enhanced oil recovery, fracturing, mining operation such as tailings treatment.

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.

Tin-containing catalysts are provided comprising a compound of formula I.

I:

##STR00001##

L1, L2, L3, and L4 are each independently selected from O, S, OC(?O), OC(?S), SC(?O), SC(?S), OS(?O).sub.2O, OS(?O).sub.2 N(R6)-, and OP(?O)(R6)-, wherein R6 represents hydrogen or a monovalent aliphatic, araliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic group having up to 20 carbon atoms. R1, R2, R3, R1, R2, and R3 each independently represent a divalent aliphatic, araliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic group having up to 20 carbon atoms; and R4, R5, R4, and R5 each independently represent hydrogen or a monovalent residue derived from reaction of a respective NH group with an isocyanate, an ethylenically unsaturated compound, a lactone, a dilactone, a thiolactone, a lactam, a thiolactam, a carboxylic acid or derivative thereof, or an epoxide. Also provided are curable compositions containing these catalysts and methods of controlling the rate of cure of curable compositions.

A method for making organo-metal material involves providing a metal ion source in a medium that removes metal ions from the source and forms 1D metal-containing coordination polymers that self-assemble and precipitate as at least one of a 2D and 3D coordination polymer material that can be thermally treated to produce a porous metal oxide material.