The present invention provides a catalyst containing a Brønsted acid as a novel means capable of producing an amide compound by highly stereoselectively and/or highly efficiently causing an amidation reaction in a variety of substrates having a carboxylic ester group and an amino group.

A method of depolymerizing a biopolymer in a biomass is presented, the method comprising the step of contacting the biopolymer with a reaction system comprising at least one catalyst, at least one electron source, and at least one solvent. A second method of depolymerizing a biopolymer in a biomass is presented, the method comprising the step of contacting the biopolymer with an electrochemical cell comprising at least one catalyst, at least one solvent, at least one electrolyte, an anode, and a cathode. A third method of depolymerizing a biopolymer is presented, the method comprising the steps of providing a biopolymer; adding a photoredox-active functional group to the biopolymer to form a modified biopolymer; and irradiating the modified biopolymer with light in the presence of a reaction mixture; said mixture comprising a photoredox catalyst.

Process for increasingly producing D-Lactide and meso lactide by depolymerizing by back biting polylactide (PLA) said process which comprises: (i) Depolymerizing polylactide into its corresponding dimeric cyclic esters by heating the polylactide in the presence of a catalyst system comprising a catalyst and a co-catalyst in a reaction zone at temperature and pressure at which the polylactide is molten; (ii) Forming a vapor product stream from the reaction zone; (iii) Removing the vapor product stream and optionally condense it; (iv) Recovering, either together or separately meso-lactide, D-lactide and L-lactide.

An organic reductant, in particular an organo silicon reductant suitable for activating supported catalysts of the type MO.sub.nE.sub.m, wherein E is S and/or Se, in particular MO.sub.n, wherein M is W, Mo or Re, is described as well as its use in metathesis reactions. The reduced catalysts are able to metathesize olefins at low temperatures and are therefore also suitable for metathesis of functionalized olefins.

Process for producing alpha olefins comprising contacting ethylene, a zirconium based catalyst system comprising, a hydrocarbylmetal compound, a chain transfer agent, and optionally an organic reaction medium. Chain transfer agents which can be utilized include a) hydrogen, b) a compound comprising a hydrogen silicon bond, a compound having a hydrogen sulfur bond, a compound having a hydrogen phosphorus bond, or c) a transition metal compound chain transfer agent.

A catalyst system comprising a combination of: 1) an activator; 2) one or more metallocene catalyst compounds; 3) a support comprising an organosilica material, which is a mesoporous organosilica material. The organosilica material is a polymer of at least one monomer of Formula [Z.sup.1OZ.sup.2 SiCh.sub.2].sub.3(i), where Z.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom, a C1-C4 alkyl group, or a bond to a silic-on atom of another monomer and Z.sup.2 represents a hydroxyl group, a C.sub.1-C.sub.4alkoxy group, a C.sub.1-C.sub.6 salkyl group, or an oxygen atom bonded to a silicon atom of another monomer. This invention further relates to processes to polymerize olefins comprising contacting one or more olefins with the above catalyst system.

The invention describes phospho-amino pincer-type ligands, metal complexes thereof, and catalytic methods comprising such metal complexes for conversion of carbon dioxide to methanol, conversion of aldehydes into alcohols, conversion of aldehydes in the presence of a trifluoromethylation agent into trifluorinated secondary alcohols, cycloaddition of carbon dioxide to an epoxide to provide cyclic carbonates or preparation of an amide from the combination of an alcohol and an amine.

A photovoltaic module comprising: (a) a photovoltaic laminate including: two or more electrically conducting dements extending through the photovoltaic laminate so that power is moved from one photovoltaic module towards another photovoltaic module or towards an inverter; and (b) one or more connectors connected to each of the two or more electrically conducting elements by a connection joint, each of the one or more connectors include: two or more opposing terminals that each are connected to and extend from one of the two or more electrically conducing elements; wherein a dielectric space is located between the two or more opposing terminals and the dielectric space blocks material used to form a connection joint from passing from a first terminal to a second terminal, the material from the connection joint cools before the material passes from one terminal to a second terminal, the material fails to travel from the first terminal to the second terminal, or a combination thereof.

A catalyst system comprising a combination of: 1) one or more catalyst compounds comprising at least one oxygen linkage, such as a phenoxide transition metal compound; 2) a support comprising an organosilica material, which may be a mesoporous organosilica material; and 3) an optional activator. Useful catalysts include biphenyl phenol catalysts (BPP). The organosilica material may be a polymer of at least one monomer of Formula [Z.sup.1OZ.sup.2SiCH.sub.2].sub.3 (I), where Z.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom, a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkyl group, or a bond to a silicon atom of another monomer and Z.sup.2 represents a hydroxyl group, a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkoxy group, a C.sub.1-C.sub.6 alkyl group, or an oxygen atom bonded to a silicon atom of another monomer. This invention further relates to processes to polymerize olefins comprising contacting one or more olefins with the above catalyst system.

The present disclosure relates to a porous solid adduct comprising magnesium chloride and ethanol, characterized by a relationship between the content of alcohol, average pore radius and amount of porosity deriving from pores with radii of 100-1000 nm, and catalyst components produced therefrom that are capable of producing polyolefins with increased porosity.