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.

The present invention relates to the use of a transition metal catalyst TMC1, which comprises a transition metal M selected from metals of groups 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the periodic table of elements according to IUPAC and a tetradentate ligand of formula I wherein R.sup.1 are identical or different and are each an organic radical having from 1 to 40 carbon atoms, and R.sup.2 are identical or different and are each an organic radical having from 1 to 40 carbon atoms, as catalyst in processes for formation of compounds comprising at least one carboxylic acid ester functional group —O—C(═O)— starting from at least one primary alcohol and/or hydrogenation of compounds comprising at least one carboxylic acid ester functional group —O—C(═O)—. The present invention further relates to a process for hydrogenation of a compound comprising at least one carboxylic acid ester functional group —O—C(═O)—, to a process for the formation of a compound comprising at least one carboxylic acid ester functional group —O—C(═O)— by dehydrogenase coupling of at least one primary alcohol with a second alcoholic OH-group, to a transition metal complex comprising the tetradentate ligand of formula I and to a process for preparing said transition metal complex. ##STR00001##

The disclosure provides a catalyst system and a method for ethylene oligomerization using this. The catalyst system contains: ligand a, containing carbene groups of imidazole ring type; transition metal compound b, that is one of IVB˜VIII group metal compounds; activator c, that is a compound containing III A group metals; the ligand a contains at least one group as shown in general formula I: ##STR00001##
in which, bridging group A contains a main chain including alkyl, alkenyl, aryl groups or the combination of them and the first heteratom; E is a linear or cyclic group containing the second heteroatom; R is a hydrocarbyl group. The catalyst system is especially used for trimerization and tetramerization of ethylene. The catalyst system has high selectivity for 1-hexene and 1-octene, low selectivity for 1-butene and 1-C.sub.10+, and the total percent content of C.sub.6˜C.sub.8 linear □α-olefin in the product is more than 90% by mass.

The invention relates to heterogeneous catalysts comprising an organo-ruthenium complex immobilized to an aluminum-modified inorganic oxide by a chemical bond between a tetra-coordinated aluminum atom on a surface of the aluminum-modified inorganic oxide and an amino or imino nitrogen of the organo-ruthenium complex, methods of preparing the heterogeneous catalysts including immobilizing the organo-ruthenium complex to a tetra-coordinated aluminum atom on a surface of an inorganic oxide by reacting an amino or imino nitrogen of the organo-ruthenium complex and an aluminum-modified inorganic oxide, followed by a defined heat treatment, as well as methods for producing hydrogen from formic acid using the heterogeneous catalysts.

The present disclosure provides catalyst compounds including a nonsymmetric bridged amine bis(phenolate), catalyst systems including such, and uses thereof. Catalyst compounds, catalyst systems, and processes of the present disclosure can provide high comonomer content and high molecular weight polymers having narrow Mw/Mn values, contributing to good processability for the polymer itself and for the polymer used in a composition.

The present invention provides a borylimide catalyst and further relates to compositions comprising the borylimide catalysts and processes for the polymerisation of olefins (e.g. ethylene) using the borylimide catalysts or the compositions comprising the borylimide catalysts.

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.

The present invention relates to methods for slowing deactivation of a catalyst and/or slowing tetraphosphine ligand usage in a hydroformylation process. In one aspect, a method comprises (a) contacting an olefin with carbon monoxide, hydrogen and a catalyst, the catalyst comprising (A) a transition metal, (B) a tetraphosphine having the structure described herein, and, optionally, (C) a monophosphine having the structure described herein, the contacting conducted in one or more reaction zones and at hydroformylation conditions; and (b) adding additional monophosphine having the structure described herein to a reaction zone.

A compound by the name 1,1,1-tris(di(3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)phosphino-methyl)ethane. The compound can be represented by the structure of formula (I): ##STR00001##
The compound is useful as a ligand for ruthenium to form an organometallic complex. The complex is an active catalyst for the hydrogenolysis of amides to form amines and optionally alcohols.

The present invention discloses new catalyst systems based on trivalent metal complexes of Formula I, which can facilitate the stereospecific ring-opening polymerization of (rac)-β-Butyrolactone (rac-BBL). Also provided is a process for the stereospecific synthesis of aliphatic polyesters using the catalysts of Formula I, including alcohols and polyols as chain-transfer agents to facilitate immortal ring-opening polymerization.