Processes of making catalyst compositions are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the processes include modifying an organoaluminum compound with a modifier that decreases the initial reducing strength of the organoaluminum compound, where the modifier can be an ether, an anhydride, an amine, an amide, a silicate, a silyl ether, a siloxane, an ester, a carbonate, a urea, a carbamate, a sulfoxide, a sulfone, a phosphoramide, or a combination thereof. The processes further include adding a transition metal complex to the mixture of the organoaluminum compound and the modifier; and obtaining a catalyst composition including the organoaluminum compound and the transition metal complex.

A novel nickel particulate form is provided that efficiently forms a zero-valent nickel complex with a phosphorus-containing ligands in an organic liquid to form a hydrocyanation catalyst. Particles in the nickel particulate form comprise nickel crystallites. For example, the nickel particulate form can have a BET Specific Surface Area of at least about 1 m.sup.2/gm; an average crystallite size less than about 20-25 nm, the nickel particulate form can have at least 10% of the crystallites in the nickel form can have can have a diameter (C10) of less than about 10 nm, and/or there are on average at least about 10.sup.15 surface crystallites per gram nickel. A ratio of BET SSA to C50 for the nickel particulate form can be at least about 0.110.sup.9 m/gm and preferably at least about 0.410.sup.9 m/gm. Methods of preparation and use are also provided.

A pre-formation unit, includes: a first vessel comprising a solution of co-catalyst and modifier; a second vessel comprising chromium compound and ligand; wherein the first and second vessel are connected via lines to a mixing unit, wherein each line has a flow control valve; wherein the mixing unit is connected via a line having a flow control valve to an oligomerization reactor; wherein gas inlets are each connected to the first vessel and to the second vessel, and wherein a portion of each of the first vessel, the second vessel, the mixing unit, and the flow control valves are within a temperature controlled enclosure.

A process for the alkylation of picolinamides with substituted chloroacylals to produce a structure of Formula (III), wherein the reaction is performed in the presence of a phase-transfer catalyst and an inorganic halide co-catalyst.

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A method of isolating and purifying 1,2,5,6 hexanetetrol (HTO) from a reaction mixture containing HTO and other byproducts of a hydrogenation reaction of a sugar alcohol and/or a mono- or di-dehydrative product of a sugar alcohol is described. The method involves contacting the mixture comprising HTO and other C1-C6 alcohols and polyols with a resin material adapted for chromatography under conditions where HTO preferentially associates with the resin relative to other components in the mixture, and eluting HTO from said resin with a solvent.

The present invention is concerned with a catalyst composition comprising titanium-, zirconium- and/or hafnium amidinate complexes and/or titanium-, zirconium- and/or hafnium guanidinate complexes and organo aluminium and/or organic zinc compounds, a coordinative chain transfer polymerization (CCTP) process employing the catalyst composition as well as long chain aluminium alkyls and subsequent alcohols obtained by such process.

Disclosed herein are methods of synthesizing shorter chain polyols. Methods of hydrolyzing polysaccharides are further disclosed. The present invention is also directed towards methods of selectively synthesizing sorbitol.

A process for preparing cyclic dehydration products from sugar alcohols is described. The process involve using a mixed-acid catalyst reaction mixture containing a reducing acid, having a pKa of about 1.0-1.5, and at least a strong Brnsted acid or a Lewis acid, having a pKa0, or both acids in a solution to dehydrate and ring close said sugar alcohol. Synergistically, the mixed-acid catalysis can produce greater amounts of the desired product at similar levels of compositional accountability than either of the component acid catalysts acting alone.

The present invention relates to a ligand compound, a catalyst system for oligomerization of olefins, and a method for oligomerization of olefins using the catalyst system. The catalyst system for oligomerization of olefins according to the present invention not only has excellent catalytic activity, but also exhibits high selectivity to 1-hexene or 1-octene, thus enabling more efficient preparation of alpha-olefin.

Processes of making catalyst compositions are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the processes include modifying an organoaluminum compound with a modifier that decreases the initial reducing strength of the organoaluminum compound, where the modifier can be an ether, an anhydride, an amine, an amide, a silicate, a silyl ether, a siloxane, an ester, a carbonate, a urea, a carbamate, a sulfoxide, a sulfone, a phosphoramide, or a combination thereof. The processes further include adding a transition metal complex to the mixture of the organoaluminum compound and the modifier; and obtaining a catalyst composition including the organoaluminum compound and the transition metal complex.