Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for Rh(I) catalysts, methods of making alkenyl substituted arenes (e.g., allyl arene, vinyl arene, and the like), methods of making alkyl substituted arenes, and the like.

The present invention relates to kinetic resolution of racemic δ-hydroxyl ester via asymmetric catalytic hydrogenation and an application thereof. In the presence of chiral spiro pyridyl phosphine ligand Iridium catalyst and base, racemic δ-hydroxyl esters were subjected to asymmetric catalytic hydrogenation to obtain extent optical purity chiral δ-hydroxyl esters and corresponding 1,5-diols. The method is a new, efficient, highly selective, economical, desirably operable and environmentally friendly method suitable for industrial production. An optically active chiral δ-hydroxyl ester and 1,5-diols can be obtained at very high enantioselectivity and yield with relatively low usage of catalyst. The chiral δ-hydroxyl ester and 1,5-diols obtained by using the method can be used as a critical raw material for asymmetric synthesis of chiral drugs (R)-lisofylline and natural drugs (+)-civet, (−)-indolizidine 167B and (−)-coniine.

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.

The present invention concerns a method for the hydrosilylation of an unsaturated compound comprising at least one ketone function, one aldehyde function, one alkene function and/or one alkyne function, with a compound comprising at least one hydrogen-silyl function implementing an organic catalyst of tri-coordinated germanium.

A highly efficient method for the conversion of a natural product into the high density fuel RJ-4 with concomitant evolution of isobutylene for conversion to fuels and polymers, more specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to efficient methods for the conversion of the renewable, linear terpene alcohol, linalool into a drop-in, high density fuel suitable for ramjet or missile propulsion.

A formic acid decomposition catalyst system includes organometallic complexes having formula 1:

##STR00001##

wherein: M is a transition metal; E is P, N, or C (as in imidazolium carbene); R.sub.1, R.sub.2 are independently C.sub.1-6 alkyl groups; o is 1, 2, 3, or 4; R.sub.3 are independently hydrogen, C.sub.1-6 alkyl groups, OR.sub.14, NO.sub.2, halogen; R.sub.4, R.sub.5, R.sub.6, R.sub.7, R.sub.8, R.sub.9, R.sub.10, R.sub.11, R.sub.12, R.sub.13, R.sub.15, R.sub.16 are independently hydrogen or C.sub.1-6 alkyl groups; R.sub.14 is a C.sub.1-6 alkyl group; and X.sup.−is a negatively charge counter ion.

Processes for producing an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid, such as acrylic acid, or a salt thereof, using solid promoters are disclosed. The solid promoters can be certain solid oxides, mixed oxides, and clays, illustrative examples of which can include alumina, zirconia, magnesia, magnesium aluminate, sepiolite, and similar materials.

The invention provides compounds of general structure I: (Ar.sup.1—Ar.sup.2—Ar.sup.3-E-P(=D)R.sub.2-).sub.nM.sub.mX.sub.nL.sub.n″. In this structure: •Ar.sup.1, Ar.sup.2 and Ar.sup.3 are aromatic groups wherein: —Ar.sup.1 and Ar.sup.3 are in a 1,3 relationship on Ar.sup.2, —each of Ar.sup.1, Ar.sup.2 and Ar.sup.3 optionally comprises one or more ring substituents of formula YR′.sub.r wherein each Y independently is absent or is O, S, B, N or Si and each R′ is independently H, halogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl or heteroaryl and r is 1, 2 or 3, where r is 1 if Y is absent or is O or S, 2 if Y is B or N and 3 if Y is Si, —Ar.sup.1, Ar.sup.2 and Ar.sup.3 are each independently carbocyclic or heterocyclic and each is independently monocyclic, bicyclic or polycyclic and each ring of each of Ar.sup.1, Ar.sup.2 and Ar.sup.3 independently has 5, 6 or 7 ring atoms; •E is absent or is selected from the group consisting of O, S, NR″, SiR″.sub.2, AsR″.sub.2 and CR″.sub.2; •M is a complexing metal; •X is selected from the group consisting of H, F, Br, CI, I, OTf, dba (dibenzylidene acetone), OC(═O)CF.sub.3 and OAc; •L is selected from the group consisting of PR″.sub.2, NR″.sub.2, OR″, SR″, SiR″.sub.3, AsR″.sub.3, alkene, alkyne, aryl and heteroaryl, each of said alkene, alkyne, aryl and heteroaryl being optionally substituted, for example with one or more halogens and/or with one or more R groups as defined herein; •each R is independently alkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl or -, heteroaryl; •D is absent or is ═S or —O or —Z-linker-Z—, where each Z independently is O or NH or N-alkyl and linker is an alkyl chain of 2-5 carbon atoms in length; •each R″ is independently H, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl or heteroaryl, each other than H being optionally substituted, or R″.sub.2 is —Z-linker-Z— as defined above; and •m is 0 or 1 or 2; wherein if m is 0, n is 1, n′ and n″ are 0 and -- is absent; and if m is 1 or 2, n is 1 or 2 and n′ and n″ are integers such that the coordination sphere of M is filled, and D is absent.

A process for catalyzed reaction of CO and H.sub.2 into methanol includes the step of reacting the CO and H.sub.2 with a catalyst comprising a transition metal and at least one Lewis basic ligand together with at least one nucleophilic promoter so as to produce the methanol as a product.

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.