A catalyst for catalyzing transesterification of esters or esterification of fatty acids, the catalyst is selected from the group consisting of manganese (II) glycerolate, cobalt (II) glycerolate, iron (II) glycerolate, and any combination thereof. A method for transesterification reaction, includes: a) providing a catalyst, wherein the catalyst is selected from the group consisting of manganese (II) glycerolate, cobalt (II) glycerolate, iron (II) glycerolate, and any combination thereof; b) adding the catalyst, one or more alcohols, and a composition comprising one or more esters to a reactor to form a reaction mixture; and c) stirring while heating the reaction mixture for reaction to form transesterification products.

Polymerisation catalysts and systems comprising said catalysts for polymerising carbon dioxide and an epoxide, a lactide and/or lactone, and/or an epoxide and an anhydride. The catalyst is of formula (I):

##STR00001##

Wherein M.sub.1 and M.sub.2 are independently selected from Zn(II), Cr(II), Co(II), Cu(II), Mn(II), Ni(II), Mg(II), Fe(II), Ti(II), V(II), Cr(III)-X, Co(III)-X, Ni(III)-X, Mn(III)-X, Fe(III)-X, Ca(II), Ge(II), AI(III)-X, Ti(III)-X, V(III)-X, Ge(IV)-(X).sub.2 or Ti(IV)-(X).sub.2. R.sub.3A is different from R.sub.3B; and/or at least one occurrence of E.sub.3, E.sub.4, E.sub.5 and E.sub.6 is different to a remaining occurrence of E.sub.3, E.sub.4, E.sub.5 and E.sub.6. A ligand, a process of asymmetric N-substitution of a symmetrical ligand and a process for the reaction of: (i) carbon dioxide with an epoxide; (ii) an epoxide and an anhydride; and/or (iii) a lactide and/or a lactone, in the presence of a catalyst is also described.

Methods of preparing fluorinated compounds by carboxylative fluorination using fluoride are contained herein. Fluorinated compounds are provided. Methods of using fluorinated compounds are contained herein.

Reactions that directly install nitrogen into CH bonds of complex molecules are significant because of their potential to change the chemical and biological properties of a given compound. Selective intramolecular CH amination reactions that achieve high levels of reactivity, while maintaining excellent site-selectivity and functional-group tolerance is a challenging problem. Herein is reported a manganese perchlorophthalocyanine catalyst [Mn.sup.III(ClPc)] for intermolecular benzylic CH amination of bioactive molecules and natural products that proceeds with unprecedented levels of reactivity and site-selectivity. In the presence of Brnsted or Lewis acid, the [Mn.sup.III(ClPc)]-catalyzed CH amination demonstrates unique tolerance for tertiary amine, pyridine and benzimidazole functionalities. Mechanistic studies indicate that CH amination proceeds through an electrophilic metallonitrene intermediate via a stepwise pathway where CH cleavage is the rate-determining step of the reaction. Collectively these mechanistic features contrast previous base-metal catalyzed CH aminations. The catalyst can be a compound of Formula I: ##STR00001##

The present disclosure discloses an immobilized metalloporphyrin catalyst and its utilization in maleic acid preparation, belonging to the technical field of metalloporphyrin catalytic application. The immobilized metalloporphyrin catalyst is used for catalyzing furfural to prepare maleic acid and is good in catalytic effect, mild in reaction conditions and capable of greatly reducing the energy consumption required in the prior art. The catalyst disclosed by the present disclosure can provide a good microenvironment for a reaction, so that the yield and selectivity of maleic acid are increased; and according to a method disclosed by the present disclosure, the conversion ratio of furfural is 20.4%-95.6%, the yield of maleic acid is 10%-56.1%, and the selectivity is 43.6%-76.1%. Meanwhile, the catalyst is easy to separate and environmentally friendly and may be recycled for many times.

Among other things, the present invention encompasses the applicant's recognition that epoxide carbonylation can be performed industrially utilizing syngas streams containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide and varying amounts carbon dioxide. Contrary to expectation, the epoxide carbonylation reaction proceeds selectively in the presence of these mixed gas streams and incorporates excess CO in the syngas stream into valuable chemical precursors, resulting in hydrogen streams substantially free of CO. This is economically and environmentally preferable to performing WSGR which releases the excess carbon as CO2. The integrated processes herein therefore provide improved carbon efficiency for processes based on coal or biomass gasification or steam methane reforming.

A chemoselective and reactive Mn(CF.sub.3-PDP) catalyst system that enables for the first time the strategic advantages of late-stage aliphatic CH hydroxylation to be leveraged in aromatic compounds. This discovery will benefit small molecule therapeutics by enabling the rapid diversification of aromatic drugs and natural products and identification of their metabolites.

Methods of CH bond fluorination using non-heme manganese catalyst are described herein. For example, a method comprises providing a reaction mixture including a non-heme manganese catalyst, a substrate comprising an sp.sup.3 CH bond and a fluorinating agent and converting the sp.sup.3 CH bond to a CF bond in the presence of the non-heme manganese catalyst or a derivative thereof.

Disclosed herein is a method for selectively reducing, using electrical energy, CO.sub.2 to formic acid, a catalyst for use in the method, and an electrochemical reduction system. The method for producing formic acid by electrochemically reducing carbon dioxide of the present invention includes (a) reacting carbon dioxide with a metal complex represented by formula (1), and (b) applying a voltage to a reaction product of the carbon dioxide and the metal complex represented by formula (1): ##STR00001##

Disclosed herein are methods of making nanostructured metal-organic frameworks. The methods include contacting a homogenized ligand solution with a homogenized aqueous metal salt solution at room temperature to form a mixture; and agitating the mixture for an amount of time to thereby form the nanostructured metal-organic framework at room temperature; wherein the homogenized ligand solution comprises a ligand dispersed substantially homogenously in a solvent selected from the group consisting of water, ethanol, isopropanol, n-propanol, lactic acid, and combinations thereof; and wherein the homogenized aqueous metal salt solution comprises a metal salt dispersed substantially homogenously in an aqueous solvent. Also disclosed herein are nanostructured metal-organic frameworks made by the methods described herein. Also disclosed herein are articles of manufacture comprising nanostructured metal-organic frameworks made by the methods described herein, such as filters, respirators, gas masks, human protection devices, catalysts, and catalyst supports.