A method of producing an N,N-disubstituted amide of the present invention is a method of reacting a nitrile with an alcohol in the presence of a catalyst, wherein the nitrile is a compound represented by R.sup.1CN (R.sup.1 represents an alkyl group having 10 or less carbon atoms or an aryl group having 10 or less carbon atoms), wherein the alcohol is a compound represented by R.sup.2OH (R.sup.2 represents an alkyl group having 10 or less carbon atoms), wherein the catalyst is a metal salt represented by MXn (M represents a metal cation having an oxidation number of n, X represents a monovalent anion including a substituted sulfonyl group represented by —S(═O).sub.2—R.sup.3 (R.sup.3 represents a hydrocarbon group having 10 or less carbon atoms or a group in which some or all of hydrogen atoms in the hydrocarbon group are substituted with fluorine atoms), and n represents an integer of 1 to 4), a substituent bonded to a carbon atom in a carbonyl group of the N,N-disubstituted amide is R.sup.1, and two substituents bonded to nitrogen atoms in an amide group are both R.sup.2.

This invention relates to novel hydrogenation catalyst compositions obtainable from reacting metal-based complex hydrogenation catalysts with specific co-catalysts and to a process for selectively hydrogenating nitrile rubbers in the presence of such novel hydrogenation catalyst compositions.

The present invention describes a fluid which is suitable for the decontamination of heat engines which can carry out both, at the same time, the catalytic reduction of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) contained in exhaust gases and assist in the regeneration of the particulate filter (PF). The invention also describes several embodiments of said fluid.

An alkylation process is described. The alkylation process includes contacting a feed comprising a paraffin or an aromatic with an olefin feed in the presence of a liquid Lewis acid catalyst in an alkylation reaction zone under alkylation conditions to form a reaction mixture comprising alkylation products and the liquid Lewis acid catalyst. The liquid Lewis acid catalyst is the liquid reaction product of a donor molecule and a metal halide. The alkylation products are separated from the liquid Lewis acid catalyst and recovered.

A method for producing 9,9-bis(3-phenyl-4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)phenyl)fluorene is provided. The method includes the steps of: performing a condensation reaction with fluorenone and 2-[(2-phenyl)phenoxy]ethanol in the presence of a catalyst and co-catalyst, wherein the catalyst is alkylsulfonic acid, and the co-catalyst is a mercapto-containing compound, thereby effectively reducing the formation of a by-product, such that the product has characteristics of low chroma, high purity, and high yield.

A method of selectively reacting lignin or a lignin-derived reactant to yield an aromatic product. The method includes the step of reacting lignin or a lignin-derived reactant with a molybdenum-containing catalyst, in a solvent, and optionally in the presence of an oxidant, for a time and a temperature wherein at least a portion of the lignin or lignin-derived reactant is selectively converted into an aromatic product, preferably coniferaldehyde and/or sinapaldehyde.

An active component carrier composition is disclosed comprising a mixture of one or more catalytically active components and one or more oxidized disulfide oil (ODSO) compounds, including a water-soluble fraction of ODSO. In certain embodiments the ODSO is obtained from the effluent of an enhanced MEROX process. The active component carrier composition facilitates transfer of catalytically active components (or components that will be catalytically active in the finished solid catalyst material) onto the surface of support materials.

A method of selectively reacting lignin or a lignin-derived reactant to yield an aromatic product. The method includes the step of reacting lignin or a lignin-derived reactant with a molybdenum-containing catalyst, in a solvent, and optionally in the presence of an oxidant, for a time and a temperature wherein at least a portion of the lignin or lignin-derived reactant is selectively converted into an aromatic product, preferably coniferaldehyde and/or sinapaldehyde.

The invention concerns ionic compounds in which the anionic load has been delocalized. A compound disclosed by the invention is comprised of an amide or one of its salts, including an anionic portion combined with at least one cationic portion M.sup.+m in sufficient numbers to ensure overall electronic neutrality; the compound is further comprised of M as a hydroxonium, a nitrosonium NO.sup.+, an ammonium NH.sub.4.sup.+, a metallic cation with the valence m, an organic cation with the valence m, or an organometallic cation with the valence m. The anionic portion matches the formula R.sub.FSO.sub.xN.sup.?Z, where R.sub.F is a perflourinated group, x is 1 or 3, and Z is an electroattractive substituent. The compounds can be used notably for ionic conducting materials, electronic conducting materials, colorants and the catalysis of various chemical reactions.

The present invention describes a fluid which is suitable for the decontamination of heat engines which can carry out both, at the same time, the catalytic reduction of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) contained in exhaust gases and assist in the regeneration of the particulate filter (PF). The invention also describes several embodiments of said fluid.