Provided herein are methods for producing ,-unsaturated ketones from the condensation of methyl ketones in the presence of an amine catalyst. Such amine catalysts may be supported, for example, on a silica-alumina support. Such amine catalysts may be used in the presence of an additional acid. The ,-unsaturated ketones may be produced by dimerization and/or timerization of the methyl ketones. Such ,-unsaturated ketones may be suitable for use in producing fuels, gasoline additives, and/or lubricants, or precursors thereof. The methyl ketones may be obtained from renewable sources, such as by the fermentation of biomass.

The invention relates to a method for the non-stereoselective and also for the stereoselective synthesis of astaxanthin from astacin. For this purpose, a reducing agent is used selected from the group of hydrogen, a secondary alcohol, formic acid and also the salts of formic acid or from a mixture of at least two representatives of the compound classes stated above. The invention further relates to the use of astacin as starting compound for the synthesis of astaxanthin.

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.

There is provided herein a composition which contains hydride-functionalized siloxane or silane, a hydroxyl-containing compound that does not contain silicon, and a catalytically-effective amount of super acid or super base catalyst selected from the group consisting of a triaza-containing compound which contains only carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen atoms, an atrane compound, a linear or branched compound containing a sulfonyl group and a fluoro group, and combinations thereof. There is also provided a process of making such a composition.

Cross-linked cyclocopolymers made up of one or more quaternary ammonium salts and sulfur dioxide as monomers. One of the quaternary ammonium salts is also an aspartic acid derivative. The cross-linked copolymers include a repeating unit with multiple chelating centers that different metal ions can bind to. The cross-linked copolymers are zwitterionic or anionic, and can be in either an acidic form or a basic form. A method for removing metal ions from an aqueous sample with these cross-linked copolymers is also described.

The present disclosure relates to preparation of liquid salt including but not limiting to ionic liquid and applications thereof. More particularly, the present disclosure provides a process for preparing ionic liquid which comprises reacting at least one electron-pair acceptor and at least one electron-pair donor to form an adduct, and reacting the adduct with at least one electron-pair acceptor to prepare said salt. The present disclosure also provides for applications of the ionic liquid prepared in the present disclosure.

Cross-linked cyclocopolymers made up of one or more quaternary ammonium salts and sulfur dioxide as monomers. One of the quaternary ammonium salts is also an aspartic acid derivative. The cross-linked copolymers include a repeating unit with multiple chelating centers that different metal ions can bind to. The cross-linked copolymers are zwitterionic or anionic, and can be in either an acidic form or a basic form. A method for removing metal ions from an aqueous sample with these cross-linked copolymers is also described.

An asymmetric fused aromatic ring derivative containing sulfonyl group, which includes a structure represented by formula (I). Formula (I) is defined as in the specification. A use of the asymmetric fused aromatic ring derivative containing sulfonyl group, which is used as a photocatalyst. A hydrogen production device, which includes the asymmetric fused aromatic ring derivative containing sulfonyl group. An optoelectronic component, which includes the asymmetric fused aromatic ring derivative containing sulfonyl group.

Process of catalytic fluorination in liquid phase of product 2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene into product 2-chloro-1,1,1,2-tetrafluoropropane, with an ionic liquid based catalyst. Process for manufacturing 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene.

A method for synthesizing of thioesters by using a compound as a catalyst is disclosed. The compound is represented by formula I below: ##STR00001##
In formula I, R.sup.5 represents H, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl, or a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl; X and Y each independently represents one of H, C.sub.1-10 alkyl, C.sub.5-10 aryl, C.sub.1-10 alkyl alcohol, thiohydroxy, carbonyl, sulfonyl, sulfamoyl, carbamoyl, C.sub.1-10 alkoxycarbonyl, C.sub.1-10 alkoxycarbamoyl, C.sub.1-10 alkylamino, C.sub.1-10 alkylsulfonyl, C.sub.1-10 haloalkylsulfonyl, ureido, amido, and C.sub.1-10 alkoxylcarbamoyl; and n is 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5.