Polymerisation catalysts and systems comprising said catalysts for polymerising carbon dioxide and an epoxide, a lactide and/or lactone, and/or an epoxide and an anhydride. The catalyst is of formula (I):

##STR00001##

Wherein M.sub.1 and M.sub.2 are independently selected from Zn(II), Cr(II), Co(II), Cu(II), Mn(II), Ni(II), Mg(II), Fe(II), Ti(II), V(II), Cr(III)-X, Co(III)-X, Ni(III)-X, Mn(III)-X, Fe(III)-X, Ca(II), Ge(II), AI(III)-X, Ti(III)-X, V(III)-X, Ge(IV)-(X).sub.2 or Ti(IV)-(X).sub.2. R.sub.3A is different from R.sub.3B; and/or at least one occurrence of E.sub.3, E.sub.4, E.sub.5 and E.sub.6 is different to a remaining occurrence of E.sub.3, E.sub.4, E.sub.5 and E.sub.6. A ligand, a process of asymmetric N-substitution of a symmetrical ligand and a process for the reaction of: (i) carbon dioxide with an epoxide; (ii) an epoxide and an anhydride; and/or (iii) a lactide and/or a lactone, in the presence of a catalyst is also described.

The present invention relates to an organic zinc catalyst which exhibits more improved catalytic activity than conventional organic zinc catalysts during a polymerization process for the preparation of a polyalkylene carbonate resin and is capable of preventing an aggregation phenomenon during a reaction, a method for preparing the same, and a method for preparing a polyalkylene carbonate resin using the organic zinc catalyst. The method for preparing an organic zinc catalyst includes the step of reacting a zinc precursor with a dicarboxylic acid in the presence of a polyether derivative to form a zinc dicarboxylate-based catalyst.

An apparatus for producing metal organic frameworks, comprising: a tubular flow reactor comprising a tubular body into which, in use, precursor compounds which form the metal organic framework are fed and flow, said tubular body including at least one annular loop.

Disclosed herein are methods of making nanostructured metal-organic frameworks. The methods include contacting a homogenized ligand solution with a homogenized aqueous metal salt solution at room temperature to form a mixture; and agitating the mixture for an amount of time to thereby form the nanostructured metal-organic framework at room temperature; wherein the homogenized ligand solution comprises a ligand dispersed substantially homogenously in a solvent selected from the group consisting of water, ethanol, isopropanol, n-propanol, lactic acid, and combinations thereof; and wherein the homogenized aqueous metal salt solution comprises a metal salt dispersed substantially homogenously in an aqueous solvent. Also disclosed herein are nanostructured metal-organic frameworks made by the methods described herein. Also disclosed herein are articles of manufacture comprising nanostructured metal-organic frameworks made by the methods described herein, such as filters, respirators, gas masks, human protection devices, catalysts, and catalyst supports.

A method for synthesizing 4-(Hydroxymethyl)benzoic acid using P-xylene (PX) as a raw material, including: dissolving PX in an organic solvent to undergo an oxidation reaction with an oxidizing agent under an action of an M-MOF catalyst; and after the oxidation reaction, performing a post-treatment to obtain the 4-(Hydroxymethyl)benzoic acid; wherein, the metal element M in the M-MOF catalyst is Fe, Cu, Cr, Mn, Cu Te, Cu/Cr, Cu/Mn, Fe/Mn, Cr/Fe or Cr/Mn. The by-product produced in the reaction process is little, the yield is high, and the separation is convenient. The acid-base neutralization is not required in the reaction process, reducing pollution. A one-step reaction is employed which has mild reaction conditions, short reaction time, low pollution and is convenient for industrialized mass production; and the obtained 4-(Hydroxymethyl)benzoic acid can be used for preparing medicines and liquid crystal materials having wide applications.

Novel crystalline porous materials known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and methods for their synthesis are provided herein. The MOFs include a M.sub.6(.sub.3-OH).sub.8(OH).sub.8(.sup.2,.sup.2-(O.sub.2C).sub.2cyclam).sub.8 cluster, and a metal atom coordinated to the one or more cyclam of the cluster, wherein M is Zr or Hf, and the metal atom is any one of Cu, Ni, Cr, Ru, Co, and Gd. The MOFs can be used as an adsorbent, alone or in a medium with other components, of CO.sub.2. The MOFs can also be used as a catalyst for the transformation of CO.sub.2 and epoxides to cyclic carbonates. The MOFs can also be used in the electrochemical catalytic reduction of CO.sub.2. The MOFs can also be used for photocatalytic CO.sub.2 reduction for the production of carbon-based fossil fuels. The MOFs can also be used for light-induced nitric oxide (NO) release. The MOFs can also be used as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) agents.

The present invention relates to the field of polymerisation catalysts, and systems comprising said catalysts for polymerising carbon dioxide and an epoxide, a lactide and/or lactone, and/or an epoxide and an anhydride. The catalyst is of formula (I): ##STR00001## Wherein M.sub.1 and M.sub.2 are independently selected from Zn(II), Cr(II), Co(II), Cu(II), Mn(II), Ni(II), Mg(II), Fe(II), Ti(II), V(II), Cr(III)-X, Co(III)-X, Ni(III)-X, Mn(III)-X, Fe(III)-X, Ca(II), Ge(II), Al(III)-X, Ti(III)-X, V(III)-X, Ge(IV)-(X).sub.2 or Ti(IV)-(X).sub.2. R.sub.3A is different from R.sub.3B; and/or at least one occurrence of E.sub.3, E.sub.4, E.sub.5 and E.sub.6 is different to a remaining occurrence of E.sub.3, E.sub.4, E.sub.5 and E.sub.6. A ligand, a process of asymmetric N-substitution of a symmetrical ligand and a process for the reaction of: (i) carbon dioxide with an epoxide; (ii) an epoxide and an anhydride; and/or (iii) a lactide and/or a lactone, in the presence of a catalyst is also described.

The present invention relates to: a compound as a ligand in a variety of catalytic organic synthetic reactions; a method for producing the compound; a synthetic intermediate of the compound; and a transition metal complex which has the compound as a ligand. The compound includes a compound represented by the following general formula (1.sup.A): ##STR00001##

An apparatus for producing metal organic frameworks, comprising: a tubular flow reactor comprising a tubular body into which, in use, precursor compounds which form the metal organic framework are fed and flow, said tubular body including at least one annular loop.

A novel metal organic framework, EMM-33, is described having the structure of UiO-67 and comprising bisphosphonate linking ligands. EMM-33 has acid activity and is useful as a catalyst in olefin isomerization. Also disclosed is a process of making metal organic frameworks, such as EMM-33, by heterogeneous ligand exchange, in which linking ligands having a first bonding functionality in a host metal organic framework are exchanged with linking ligands having a second different bonding functionality in the framework.