A method for the manufacture of an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalyst, the method comprising; providing a metal organic framework (MOF) material having a specific internal pore volume of 0.7 cm.sup.3g.sup.−1 or greater; providing a source of iron and/or cobalt; pyrolysing the MOF material together with the source of iron and/or cobalt to form the catalyst, wherein the MOF material comprises nitrogen and/or the MOF material is pyrolysed together with a source of nitrogen and the source of iron and/or cobalt is disclosed.

Disclosed herein are methods for preparing isotopically modified polyunsaturated lipids containing 1,4-diene systems involving selective isotopic modification of one or more bis-allylic positions of the polyunsaturated lipids in the presence of a transition metal catalyst.

An oxidative homocoupling method of synthesizing certain 2,2′-bithiophenes from thiophenes using oxygen as the terminal oxidant is disclosed. In non-limiting examples, the method uses oxygen along with a catalytic system that includes palladium, an assistive ligand, and a non-palladium metal additive to catalyze one of the following reactions: ##STR00001## Associated catalytic systems and compositions are also disclosed.

Phosphine phosphonate and phenoxyphosphine ligands bearing polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains are used as described herein to produce heterobimetallic catalysts. The ligands can be metallated selectively with palladium or nickel and secondary metal ions to provide well-defined heterobimetallic compounds. These heterobimetallic complexes exhibit accelerated reaction rates and greater thermal stability in olefin polymerization compared to other catalysts.

In one aspect, phosphine compounds comprising three adamantyl moieties (PAd.sub.3) and associated synthetic routes are described herein. Each adamantyl moiety may be the same or different. For example, each adamantyl moiety (Ad) attached to the phosphorus atom can be independently selected from the group consisting of adamantane, diamantane, triamantane and derivatives thereof. Transition metal complexes comprising PAd.sub.3 ligands are also provided for catalytic synthesis including catalytic cross-coupling reactions.

A method of forming dialkyl carbonate is provided, which includes introducing carbon dioxide into a catalyst to form dialkyl carbonate, wherein the catalyst is formed by activating a catalyst precursor using alcohol, wherein alcohol is R.sup.3—OH, and R.sup.3 is C.sub.1-12 alkyl group or C.sub.5-12 aryl or heteroaryl group. The catalyst precursor is formed by reacting Sn(R.sub.1).sub.2(L).sub.2 and Ti(OR.sup.2).sub.4, and Sn(R.sup.1).sub.2(L).sub.2 and Ti(OR.sup.2).sub.4 have a molar ratio of 1:2 to 2:1. R.sup.1 is C.sub.1-10 alkyl group, R.sup.2 is H or C.sub.1-12 alkyl group, and L is O—(C═O)—R.sup.5, and R.sup.5 is C.sub.1-12 alkyl group. The dialkyl carbonate is ##STR00001##

The present disclosure provides a method for efficiently producing and providing compounds having a spirooxindole skeleton, for example compounds having a spirooxindole skeleton and having antitumor activity that inhibit the interaction between Mdm2 protein and p53 protein, or intermediates thereof, using an asymmetric catalyst. Compounds having optically active tricyclic dispiroindole skeletons are obtained through catalytic asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction using ketimine as a reaction substrate and using a chiral ligand and a Lewis acid.

Phosphine phosphonate and phenoxyphosphine ligands bearing polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains are used as described herein to produce heterobimetallic catalysts. The ligands can be metallated selectively with palladium or nickel and secondary metal ions to provide well-defined heterobimetallic compounds. These heterobimetallic complexes exhibit accelerated reaction rates and greater thermal stability in olefin polymerization compared to other catalysts.

A method of forming dialkyl carbonate is provided, which includes introducing carbon dioxide into a catalyst to form dialkyl carbonate, wherein the catalyst is formed by activating a catalyst precursor using alcohol, wherein alcohol is R.sup.3—OH, and R.sup.3 is C.sub.1-12 alkyl group or C.sub.5-12 aryl or heteroaryl group. The catalyst precursor is formed by reacting Sn(R.sub.1).sub.2(L).sub.2 and Ti(OR.sup.2).sub.4, and Sn(R.sup.1).sub.2(L).sub.2 and Ti(OR.sup.2).sub.4 have a molar ratio of 1:2 to 2:1. R.sup.1 is C.sub.1-10 alkyl group, R.sup.2 is H or C.sub.1-12 alkyl group, and L is O—(C═O)—R.sup.5, and R.sup.5 is C.sub.1-12 alkyl group. The dialkyl carbonate is

##STR00001##

The present invention relates to: a method for converting a hydroxyl group of an alcohol; and a catalyst which makes the method possible. A method for converting a hydroxyl group of an alcohol according to the present invention is characterized by producing a compound represented by CH(R.sup.1)(R.sup.2)Nu (wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and Nu are as defined below) by reacting an alcohol represented by CH(R.sup.1)(R.sup.2)OH (wherein each of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 represents a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted alkyl group, or the like) and a compound having an active proton, which is represented by H-Nu (wherein Nu represents a group represented by —CHX.sup.1-EWG.sup.1 or —NR.sup.3R.sup.4; X.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or the like; EWG.sup.1 represents an electron-withdrawing group; and each of R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 represents a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted alkyl group, or the like), with each other in the presence of a complex of a group 7-11 metal of the periodic table and at least one solid base that is selected from the group consisting of layered double hydroxides, composite oxides and calcium hydroxide.