A catalytic converter with excellent OSC performance and NO.sub.x purification performance. The converter includes a substrate with a cell structure through which exhaust gas flows, and a catalyst layer formed on a cell wall surface of the substrate. The catalyst layer includes a lower catalyst layer and an upper catalyst layer, the lower catalyst layer being formed on a surface of the substrate, and the upper catalyst layer being formed on a surface of the lower catalyst layer. The upper catalyst layer includes at least a zirconia support with rhodium carried thereon, and two types of ceria-zirconia-based composite oxides with different specific surface areas, each of the ceria-zirconia-based composite oxides having no rhodium carried thereon. The lower catalyst layer includes an alumina support with platinum carried thereon, and a ceria-zirconia-based composite oxide.

A catalytic converter with excellent OSC performance and NO.sub.x purification performance. The converter includes a substrate with a cell structure through which exhaust gas flows, and a catalyst layer formed on a cell wall surface of the substrate. The catalyst layer includes a lower catalyst layer and an upper catalyst layer, the lower catalyst layer being formed on a surface of the substrate, and the upper catalyst layer being formed on a surface of the lower catalyst layer. The upper catalyst layer includes at least a zirconia support with rhodium carried thereon, and two types of ceria-zirconia-based composite oxides with different specific surface areas, each of the ceria-zirconia-based composite oxides having no rhodium carried thereon. The lower catalyst layer includes an alumina support with platinum carried thereon, and a ceria-zirconia-based composite oxide.

The object of the present invention is to provide an exhaust gas purifying catalyst that can achieve high purification performance while suppressing H.sub.2S emissions. The object is solved by an exhaust gas purifying catalyst in which the top layer of a catalyst coating layer comprises a ceria-zirconia composite oxide having a pyrochlore-type ordered array structure, in which the ceria-zirconia composite oxide contains at least one additional element selected from the group consisting of praseodymium, lanthanum, and yttrium at 0.5 to 5.0 mol % in relation to the total cation amount, and the molar ratio of (cerium+additional element):(zirconium) is within the range from 43:57 to 48:52.

The object of the present invention is to provide an exhaust gas purifying catalyst that can achieve high purification performance while suppressing H.sub.2S emissions. The object is solved by an exhaust gas purifying catalyst in which the top layer of a catalyst coating layer comprises a ceria-zirconia composite oxide having a pyrochlore-type ordered array structure, in which the ceria-zirconia composite oxide contains at least one additional element selected from the group consisting of praseodymium, lanthanum, and yttrium at 0.5 to 5.0 mol % in relation to the total cation amount, and the molar ratio of (cerium+additional element):(zirconium) is within the range from 43:57 to 48:52.

A synthesis process for forming nanodendrites. The nanodendrites are utilized in a process to form a heterojunction catalyst. Nanodendrites may include PtRu.sub.8 nanodendrites that can be oxidized through annealing to form PtRuO.sub.2. One heterojunction catalyst comprises PtRuO.sub.2 on a carbon support.

Increase propane dehydrogenation activity of a partially deactivated dehydrogenation catalyst by heating the partially deactivated catalyst to a temperature of at least 660° C., conditioning the heated catalyst in an oxygen-containing atmosphere and, optionally, stripping molecular oxygen from the conditioned catalyst.

Increase propane dehydrogenation activity of a partially deactivated dehydrogenation catalyst by heating the partially deactivated catalyst to a temperature of at least 660° C., conditioning the heated catalyst in an oxygen-containing atmosphere and, optionally, stripping molecular oxygen from the conditioned catalyst.

The invention concerns a synthesis process of a compound of the following formula (I) or one of the salts thereof,

##STR00001## wherein R represents a COOH, CH.sub.2OH or CHO group, comprising the step according to which the but-3-ene-1,2-diol (BDO) is subjected to an oxidation in the presence of a catalyst, said catalyst comprising an active phase based on at least one noble metal selected from palladium, gold, silver, platinum, rhodium, osmium, ruthenium and iridium, and a support containing alkaline sites.

The invention also concerns the application of this reaction to the preparation of bioavailable compounds of methionine used, in particular, in animal nutrition.

The invention concerns a synthesis process of a compound of the following formula (I) or one of the salts thereof,

##STR00001## wherein R represents a COOH, CH.sub.2OH or CHO group, comprising the step according to which the but-3-ene-1,2-diol (BDO) is subjected to an oxidation in the presence of a catalyst, said catalyst comprising an active phase based on at least one noble metal selected from palladium, gold, silver, platinum, rhodium, osmium, ruthenium and iridium, and a support containing alkaline sites.

The invention also concerns the application of this reaction to the preparation of bioavailable compounds of methionine used, in particular, in animal nutrition.

A method of selectively catalysing the reduction of oxides of nitrogen (NO.sub.x) including nitrogen monoxide in an exhaust gas of a stationary source of NO.sub.x emissions also containing oxides of sulfur (SO.sub.x) comprising the steps of passively oxidising nitrogen monoxide to nitrogen dioxide (NO.sub.2) over an oxidation catalyst comprising a platinum group metal so that a NO.sub.2/NO.sub.x content is from 40-60%; introducing a nitrogenous reductant into the exhaust gas; and contacting exhaust gas having the 40-60% NO.sub.2/NO.sub.x content and containing the nitrogenous reductant with a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst comprising an aluminosilicate zeolite promoted with copper.