Provided is a method for producing -valerolactone that is hard to elute metallic components and has high productivity. -Valerolactone is synthesized by bringing a levulinic acid compound represented by the formula (1) (where R represents a hydrogen atom, a linear alkyl group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms or a branched alkyl group of 3 to 6 carbon atoms) into contact with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst in which two or more different kinds of metals of Group VIII to Group X metals in the periodic table are supported on a support.

##STR00001##

The present disclosure relates to a reversible hydrogen transfer process and storage system using visible light to photocatalytically generate hydrogen from compounds comprising saturated or partially saturated carbocyclic residue and catalytically hydrogenate compounds comprising at least one carbocyclic aromatic residue.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for IrO.sub.2 catalysts, methods of making IrO.sub.2 catalysts, methods of using IrO.sub.2 catalysts to make methanol, formaldehyde, and/or ethylene from CH.sub.4, systems for using IrO.sub.2 catalysts, and the like.

The subject of the invention is a process for the hydrogenation of hydrogen carbonate in an aqueous reaction system, where the process ensures that the hydrogen carbonate, hydrogen and catalyst come into contact with each other while carbon dioxide is present in the gas space. In this phase of the process, formate is produced. The subject of the invention is also a process for the catalytic decomposition of formate in an aqueous reaction system and the hydrogenation of hydrogen carbonate produced in the same reaction system according to the invention, where the reactants and the reaction products are formed in a reversible reaction cycle using the reaction system according to the invention, and this reaction cycle is repeated in the required number of times. In the mentioned formate mg decomposition process, the formate and the catalyst come into contact, so that hydrogen gas and hydrogen carbonate free of COX by-products are produced as the product of the reaction. Further subject of the invention is a hydrogen storage system based on the method according to the invention, preferably a hydrogen accumulator. Further subject of the invention is a hydrogen storage system according to the invention, preferably the use of a hydrogen accumulator for the storage of hydrogen required for the operation of a fuel cell (or other equipment requiring H2) and, where appropriate, for its release in as needed.

Provided are a furanyl group-containing organopolysiloxane that is flexible due to (poly)siloxane and contains furanyl groups having photocrosslinkability. The furanyl group-containing organopolysiloxane is represented by the following average composition formula (1), and has a number average molecular weight of 500 to 40,000,

##STR00001## wherein R.sup.1 represents a monovalent hydrocarbon group, etc., or a furanyl group expressed by the following general formula (2) or (3), in which at least one R per molecule is the furanyl group expressed by the following general formula (2) or (3); a is a number of not smaller than 2, b is a number of not smaller than 0, c is a number of not smaller than 0, d is a number of not smaller than 0, and a, b, c and d satisfy 2?a+b+c+d?1,000,

##STR00002## wherein R.sup.2 or R.sup.3 represents a hydrogen atom, or a monovalent hydrocarbon group, etc.; the broken lines represent bonds.

A method of producing -caprolactam from 3-oxoadipic acid includes: step 1 of mixing at least one selected from the group consisting of 3-oxoadipic acid and salts thereof with a catalyst and a solvent in the presence of hydrogen to produce 3-hydroxyadipic acid; and step 2 of reacting the 3-hydroxyadipic acid which is a product of step 1, a salt or carboxylic acid derivative thereof, or a mixture of these with hydrogen and ammonia.

Disclosed is a catalytic system for the reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide. The catalytic system includes an iridium (Ir) photosensitizer and a TiO.sub.2/Re(I) complex catalyst. No additional process is required to anchor the molecule-based dye compound on TiO.sub.2 in the synthesis of the catalytic system. This enables the synthesis of the catalytic system in a relatively easy manner for groups of photosensitizer candidates. In addition, the catalytic system can be utilized as a platform for more easily evaluating the abilities of photosensitizers. Furthermore, the catalytic system can find application in various fields due to its ability to selectively produce carbon monoxide gas with high efficiency.

Provided are a supported catalyst including: a support body which is formed by a catalyst composition being supported by a carrier, in which the catalyst composition contains an oxide of copper, and the carrier contains Al.sub.2O.sub.3.B.sub.2O.sub.3 ( and each represent a positive number); and a hydrogen production method for producing hydrogen from ammonia, including: an ammonia combustion step of reacting ammonia with oxygen in the presence of the supported catalyst; and an ammonia decomposition step of decomposing the ammonia into hydrogen and nitrogen by utilizing heat generated by the reaction between the ammonia and the oxygen.

A method for coating a substrate on one or more sides having catalytically active material producible by material deposition under vacuum in a vacuum chamber, using the following steps: loading a substrate in the chamber evacuating the chamber, cleaning the substrate by introducing a gaseous reducing agent, removing the gaseous reducing agent, applying an intermediate layer by means of vacuum arc evaporation, wherein a substrate comprising the same or similar material is introduced into the vacuum chamber, controlling the chamber temperature, coating by vacuum arc evaporation, a metal taken from the group ruthenium, iridium, titanium and mixtures thereof while oxygen is supplied, in a last step the coated substrate is removed from the chamber, wherein at least 99% of the substrate coating is free of constituents originally contained in the substrate itself, and at least 99% of the coating applied on the intermediate layer is kept free of non-oxidized metals.

Methods are provided for modifying hydrogenation catalysts having silica supports (or other non-alumina supports) with additional alumina, and using such catalysts to achieve unexpectedly superior hydrogenation of feedstocks. The modified hydrogenation catalysts can have a relatively low cracking activity while providing an increased activity for hydrogenation.