Process P.sup.1 for the manufacture of a secondary fatty alcohol, said process P.sup.1 comprising synthesizing an internal ketone K1 by a process P.sup.0 comprising the decarboxylative ketonization reaction of a fatty acid or the like in a liquid phase with a metal compound as catalyst in a reaction medium, wherein a ketone K.sup.2 at liquid state, which is identical or similar to the internal ketone K.sup.1, is introduced into the reaction medium, and subjecting the internal ketone K.sup.1 to a hydrogenation reaction with hydrogen gas as hydrogenating agent to form the secondary fatty alcohol. Use of the secondary fatty alcohol manufactured by the process P.sup.1 for the manufacture of an internal olefin or of an internal olefin sulfonate.

Process P.sup.1 for the manufacture of a secondary fatty alcohol, said process P.sup.1 comprising synthesizing an internal ketone K1 by a process P.sup.0 comprising the decarboxylative ketonization reaction of a fatty acid or the like in a liquid phase with a metal compound as catalyst in a reaction medium, wherein a ketone K.sup.2 at liquid state, which is identical or similar to the internal ketone K.sup.1, is introduced into the reaction medium, and subjecting the internal ketone K.sup.1 to a hydrogenation reaction with hydrogen gas as hydrogenating agent to form the secondary fatty alcohol. Use of the secondary fatty alcohol manufactured by the process P.sup.1 for the manufacture of an internal olefin or of an internal olefin sulfonate.

This exhaust gas purifying catalyst is provided with a substrate and a catalyst layer formed on a surface of the substrate. The catalyst layer contains zeolite particles that support a metal, and a rare earth element-containing compound that contains a rare earth element. The rare earth element-containing compound is added in such an amount that the molar ratio of the rare earth element relative to Si contained in the zeolite is 0.001 to 0.014 in terms of oxides.

This exhaust gas purifying catalyst is provided with a substrate and a catalyst layer formed on a surface of the substrate. The catalyst layer contains zeolite particles that support a metal, and a rare earth element-containing compound that contains a rare earth element. The rare earth element-containing compound is added in such an amount that the molar ratio of the rare earth element relative to Si contained in the zeolite is 0.001 to 0.014 in terms of oxides.

Carbon-based single metal atom or bimetallic, trimetallic, or multimetallic alloy transition metal-containing catalysts derived from exoelectrogen bacteria and their methods of making and using thereof are described. The method comprising the steps of: (a) preparing a solution medium comprising at least an electron donor and an electron acceptor comprised of one or more salts of a transition metal; (b) providing exoelectrogen bacterial cells and mixing the exoelectrogen bacterial cells into the solution medium of step (a); (c) incubating the solution medium of step (b); (d) isolating the exoelectrogen bacterial cells from the incubated solution medium of step (c); and (e) pyrolyzing the exoelectrogen bacterial cells resulting in formation of the catalyst. The electron donor can be formate, acetate, or hydrogen.

Carbon-based single metal atom or bimetallic, trimetallic, or multimetallic alloy transition metal-containing catalysts derived from exoelectrogen bacteria and their methods of making and using thereof are described. The method comprising the steps of: (a) preparing a solution medium comprising at least an electron donor and an electron acceptor comprised of one or more salts of a transition metal; (b) providing exoelectrogen bacterial cells and mixing the exoelectrogen bacterial cells into the solution medium of step (a); (c) incubating the solution medium of step (b); (d) isolating the exoelectrogen bacterial cells from the incubated solution medium of step (c); and (e) pyrolyzing the exoelectrogen bacterial cells resulting in formation of the catalyst. The electron donor can be formate, acetate, or hydrogen.

A method for treating biomass including lignocellulosic polymers. The biomass is treated in a mixture of water with at least one oxidizing agent and steam at a temperature in a range of from about 130° C. to about 220° C. for a period from about 5 seconds to about 10 hours. The pH of the mixture is periodically measured for substantially an entire duration of the treating step. As necessary, based on the measured pH of the mixture, adjusting the pH of the mixture into a range of from about pH 4.5 to about pH 7.5 by adding a base to the mixture.

A method for treating biomass including lignocellulosic polymers. The biomass is treated in a mixture of water with at least one oxidizing agent and steam at a temperature in a range of from about 130° C. to about 220° C. for a period from about 5 seconds to about 10 hours. The pH of the mixture is periodically measured for substantially an entire duration of the treating step. As necessary, based on the measured pH of the mixture, adjusting the pH of the mixture into a range of from about pH 4.5 to about pH 7.5 by adding a base to the mixture.

The invention provides a catalyst composition, including a mixture of catalytically active particles and a magnetic material, such as superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, capable of inductive heating in response to an applied alternating electromagnetic field. The catalytically active particles will typically include a base metal, platinum group metal, oxide of base metal or platinum group metal, or combination thereof, and will be adapted for use in various catalytic systems, such as diesel oxidation catalysts, catalyzed soot filters, lean NOx traps, selective catalytic reduction catalysts, ammonia oxidation catalysts, or three-way catalysts. The invention also includes a system and method for heating a catalyst material, which includes a catalyst article that includes the catalyst composition and a conductor for receiving current and generating an alternating electromagnetic field in response thereto, the conductor positioned such that the generated alternating electromagnetic field is applied to at least a portion of the magnetic material.

The invention provides a catalyst composition, including a mixture of catalytically active particles and a magnetic material, such as superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, capable of inductive heating in response to an applied alternating electromagnetic field. The catalytically active particles will typically include a base metal, platinum group metal, oxide of base metal or platinum group metal, or combination thereof, and will be adapted for use in various catalytic systems, such as diesel oxidation catalysts, catalyzed soot filters, lean NOx traps, selective catalytic reduction catalysts, ammonia oxidation catalysts, or three-way catalysts. The invention also includes a system and method for heating a catalyst material, which includes a catalyst article that includes the catalyst composition and a conductor for receiving current and generating an alternating electromagnetic field in response thereto, the conductor positioned such that the generated alternating electromagnetic field is applied to at least a portion of the magnetic material.