Highly quantitative methods for determining the concentration of residual phase transfer catalysts (PTCs) in radiotracer or radiopharmaceutical doses are described. The methods comprise mixing aliquots of the doses that can contain residual PTCs with a sodium and/or potassium salt; extracting a residual PTC/salt complex into an organic phase; and detecting the amount of PTC/salt complex in the organic phase. The detecting can involve visual colorimetry or measuring the absorbance or transmittance of the organic phase when the sodium and/or potassium salt comprises a chromophoric ion, or measuring the resistance of the organic phase. Also described are devices for use in performing the methods.

The present invention is in the field of surfactants to extract a platinum group metal or gold, in particular palladium, from organic compositions. In particular, the invention concerns the use of surfactants to back-extract a platinum group metal or gold, in particular palladium, from organic compositions further comprising an extractant of said platinum group metal or gold, in particular palladium from an aqueous solution.

The present invention is directed to reaction mixtures comprising a water-surfactant mixture, wherein the catalyst comprises a compound with solubilizing groups. This technology improves the solubility of the reaction components in the water-surfactant mixture and thereby, greatly increases the productivity and selectivity of the chemical reaction.

The present invention relates to a novel chiral phase-transfer catalyst, and a method for preparing an alpha-amino acid by using the same. According to the present invention, an alpha-amino acid of high optical purity could be synthesized in a high yield under an easy industrially applicable reaction condition by using a novel cinchona alkaloid compound as a chiral phase-transfer catalyst, and thus the present invention can be used as a key technique of the asymmetric alpha-amino acid synthesis and preparation field.

In one embodiment, the present application discloses a catalyst composition comprising: a) a reaction solvent or a reaction medium; b) organometallic nanoparticles comprising: i) a nanoparticle (NP) catalyst, prepared by a reduction of an iron salt in an organic solvent, wherein the catalyst comprises at least one other metal selected from the group consisting of Pd, Pt, Au, Ni, Co, Cu, Mn, Rh, Ir, Ru and Os or mixtures thereof; c) a ligand; and d) a surfactant; wherein the metal or mixtures thereof is present in less than or equal to 50,000 ppm relative to the iron salt.

In one embodiment, the present application discloses a catalyst composition comprising: a) a reaction solvent or a reaction medium; b) organometallic nanoparticles comprising: i) a nanoparticle (NP) catalyst, prepared by a reduction of an iron salt in an organic solvent, wherein the catalyst comprises at least one other metal selected from the group consisting of Pd, Pt, Au, Ni, Co, Cu, Mn, Rh, Ir, Ru and Os or mixtures thereof; c) a ligand; and d) a surfactant; wherein the metal or mixtures thereof is present in less than or equal to 50,000 ppm relative to the iron salt.

Process comprising the process steps of:

a) initially charging a pentenoic ester,
b) adding a ligand of structure 1 or 2:

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and a compound comprising a metal atom selected from: Rh, Ru, Co, Ir,
c) supplying H.sub.2 and CO,
d) heating the reaction mixture to convert the pentenoic ester to 5-formylpentanoic esters.

In one embodiment, the present application discloses a catalyst composition comprising: a) a reaction solvent or a reaction medium; b) organometallic nanoparticles comprising: i) a nanoparticle (NP) catalyst, prepared by a reduction of an iron salt in an organic solvent, wherein the catalyst comprises at least one other metal selected from the group consisting of Pd, Pt, Au, Ni, Co, Cu, Mn, Rh, Ir, Ru and Os or mixtures thereof; c) a ligand; and d) a surfactant; wherein the metal or mixtures thereof is present in less than or equal to 50,000 ppm relative to the iron salt.

A homogeneous catalyst system is removed from a reaction mixture of two liquid phases by separating the two liquid phases with a membrane having at least one separation-active layer in such a way that the homogeneous catalyst system is at least partially concentrated in a membrane retentate; wherein the reaction mixture contains at least one partially epoxidized cyclic unsaturated compound having twelve carbon atoms; and wherein the membrane separation-active layer contains crosslinked a silicone acrylate and/or polydimethylsiloxane and/or polyimide.

An apparatus for the epoxidation of a cyclic unsaturated C.sub.12 compound with hydrogen peroxide is provided. The apparatus includes a reactor for carrying out the reaction, wherein the walls of the reactor are at least partially furnished with a separation-active layer of crosslinked silicone acrylates and/or polydimethylsiloxane.