New diphosphites based on cis-butene-1,4-diol.

The present invention refers to novel ruthenium- and osmium-based catalysts for olefin metathesis reactions, particularly to catalysts having stereoselective properties. Z-selectivity is obtained by utilizing two mono-anionic ligands of very different steric requirement. In olefin metathesis reactions these catalysts selectively provide the Z-isomer of disubstituted olefinic products even in presence of air or of acids.

Provided is a method for preparing an enamide compound, which includes reacting an organic azide compound having α-hydrogen and an anhydride by addition of a ruthenium complex catalyst in the presence of an ionic liquid, and a ruthenium complex catalyst used herein.

Provided is a mononuclear ruthenium complex that comprises a ruthenium-silicon bond that is represented by formula (1) and that exhibits excellent catalyst activity in each of a hydrosilylation reaction, a hydrogenation reaction, and reduction of a carbonyl compound. ##STR00001## In formula (1), R.sup.1-R.sup.6 either independently represent an alkyl group, an aryl group, an aralkyl group or the like that may be substituted with a hydrogen atom or X, or represent a crosslinking substituent in which at least one pair comprising one of R.sup.1-R.sup.3 and one of R.sup.4-R.sup.6 is combined. X represents a halogen atom, an organoxy group, or the like. L represents a two-electron ligand other than CO and phosphine. When a plurality of L are present, the plurality of L may be the same as or different from each other. When two L are present, the two L may be bonded to each other. n and m independently represent an integer of 1 to 3 with the stipulation that n+m equals 3 or 4.

The invention relates to a process for preparing 1,3-butadiene by means of ene-yne metathesis over at least one transition metal catalyst of the element ruthenium.

The present invention relates to novel Ruthenium complexes of formulae A1-A4 and their use, inter alia, for (1) dehydrogenative coupling of alcohols to esters; (2) hydrogenation of esters to alcohols (including hydrogenation of cyclic esters (lactones) or cyclic di-esters (di-lactones), or polyesters); (3) preparing amides from alcohols and amines—(including the preparation of polyamides (e.g., polypeptides) by reacting dialcohols and diamines and/or polymerization of amino alcohols and/or forming cyclic dipeptides from p-aminoalcohols; (4) hydrogenation of amides (including cyclic dipeptides, polypeptides and polyamides) to alcohols and amines; (5) hydrogenation of organic carbonates (including polycarbonates) to alcohols or hydrogenation of carbamates (including polycarbamates) or urea derivatives to alcohols and amines; (6) dehydrogenation of secondary alcohols to ketones; (7) amidation of esters (i.e., synthesis of amides from esters and amines); (8) acylation of alcohols using esters; (9) coupling of alcohols with water and a base to form carboxylic acids; and (10) preparation of amino acids or their salts by coupling of amino alcohols with water and a base. The present, invention further relates to the use of certain known Ruthenium complexes for the preparation of amino acids or their salts from amino alcohols.

A long life catalyst is provided that is conveniently and inexpensively capable of being produced and that is highly active and has inhibited metal leakage. According to aspects of the present invention, a catalyst is provided that includes: a polymer including a plurality of first structural units and a plurality of second structural units; and metal acting as a catalytic center, wherein at least part of the metal is covered with the polymer, each of the plurality of first structural units has a first atom constituting a main chain of the polymer and a first substituent group bonded to the first atom, a second atom included in each of the plurality of second structural units is bonded to the first atom, and the second atom is different from the first atom, or at least one of all substituent groups on the second atom is different from the first substituent group.

The present invention pertains to a method for recovering a selective homogeneous hydrogenation catalyst and a method for reusing the recovered selective homogeneous hydrogenation catalyst. The method for recovering a selective homogeneous hydrogenation catalyst comprises: a step for synthesizing cyclododecene by selectively hydrogenating a first reaction solution containing cyclododecatriene, triphenylphosphine, formaldehyde, and ruthenium chloride, wherein a selective homogeneous hydrogenation catalyst is prepared during the selective hydrogenation reaction from the triphenylphosphine, formaldehyde, and ruthenium chloride to synthesize the cyclododecene; and a step for distilling and separating unreacted cyclododecatriene and cyclododecadiene, as well as the product cyclododecene, from a second reaction solution in which the cyclododecene synthesis has been completed, and recovering the selective homogeneous hydrogenation catalyst.

The invention relates to a ruthenium alkylidene complex comprising a 1-aryl-3-cycloalkyl-imidazolin-2-ylidene ligand, the cycloalkyl group of said 1-aryl-3-cycloalkyl-imidazolin-2-ylidene ligand being a cyclic secondary aliphatic alkyl.

Disclosed are methods for the preparation of ligands for complexes, methods for preparing complexes and complexes having those ligands. Also provided is the use of a complex as a catalyst in a method of synthesis.