The present invention provides, inter alia, a multidentate ligand having the structure of: ##STR00001## Also provided are methods of preparing metal complexes from the multidentate ligand, and the metal complexes prepared by such methods. Further provided are catalysts comprising such metal complexes, and various uses of such catalysts.

The present invention is directed at the conversion of ammonium nitrate and related compounds upon reaction with methane into compounds such as ethyl acetate, ammonia, nitrogen and hydrogen. The reaction may proceed within a fluid-solid type reactor. The reaction may be facilitated in the presence of inert or catalytic solids.

The electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO.sub.2RR) provides opportunities to synthesize value-added products from this greenhouse gas in a sustainable manner. Efficient catalysts for this reaction are provided that selectively drive CO.sub.2 reduction over the thermodynamic and kinetically competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in organic or aqueous electrolytes. The catalysts are metal-polypyridyl coordination complexes of a redox non-innocent terpyridine-based pentapyridine ligand and a first-row transition metal. The metal-ligand cooperativity in [Fe(tpyPY2Me)].sup.2+ drives the electrochemical reduction of CO.sub.2 to CO at low overpotentials with high selectivity for CO.sub.2RR (>90%).

Disclosed is a new method for the synthesis of unsymmetrical tertiary amines using alcohol and an imine, and to new tertiary amines.

A nanofibrous catalyst for in the electrolyzer and methods of making the catalyst. The catalysts are composed of highly porous transition metal carbonitrides, metal oxides or perovskites derived from the metal-organic frameworks and integrated into a 3D porous nano-network electrode architecture. The catalysts are low-cost, highly active toward OER, with excellent conductivity yet resistant to the oxidation under high potential operable under both acidic and alkaline environments.

The present invention is directed to curable compositions comprising: (a) a polyene; (b) a polythiol, present in an amount greater than 10 percent by weight based on the total weight of components (a) and (b) in the curable composition; and (c) a catalytic component consisting essentially of: (i) a metal compound; and (ii) a compound different from (i) that catalyzes an addition reaction between an ethylenically unsaturated compound and a thiol. The catalytic composition is essentially free of vanadium compounds. In the curable composition, either (1) both components (i) and (ii) of the catalytic composition (c) are added as a single package to (a) and/or (b); or (2) component (i) and/or (ii) of the catalytic composition (c) is added in separate packages to (a) and/or (b) of the curable composition. The present invention is further drawn to coated articles and methods of extending pot life of a curable composition.

A catalyst is provided having: (a) at least one multimetallic salt; and (b) at least one organic acid, wherein the at least one multimetallic salt to the at least one organic acid weight ratio is in the range of 1:0.01-1:0.5. A process is also provided for the preparation of the catalyst and for the preparation of the multimetallic salt.

Disclosed are a pincer-type ligand having a structurally rigid acridane structure and a metal complex consisting of the pincer-type ligand and a metal bound to each other, and exhibiting high reactivity and stability during a variety of bonding activation reactions. T-shaped complexes can be prepared from .sup.acriPNP(4,5-bis(diisopropylphosphino)-2,7,9,9-tetramethyl-9H-acridin-10-ide), which is a pincer-type PNP ligand having an acridane structure, and metal complexes, which can be structurally rigid and thus exhibit excellent reactivity and stability based on minimized structural change thereof, can be prepared by introducing an acridane structure into the backbone thereof. The PNP ligand is structurally stable and has novel chemical properties, as compared to conventional similar ligands, and thus can be utilized in a wide range of catalytic reactions and material chemistry.

A system and methods for manufacturing a base oil stock from a light hydrocarbon stream are provided. An example method includes cracking a light hydrocarbon stream to form an impure olefinic stream, separating water from the impure olefinic stream, and oligomerizing the impure olefinic stream to form a raw oligomer stream. A light olefinic stream from the raw oligomer stream and linear alpha olefins are recovered from the light olefinic stream. A heavy olefinic stream is distilled from the raw oligomer stream and hydro-processed to form a hydro-processed stream. They hydro-processed stream is distilled to form the base oil stock.

A new metal organic framework (MOF) series and method of synthesizing the same are disclosed which includes an organic linking ligand having the formula:

##STR00001##

and a metal ion bonded to the organic linking ligand.