The present invention relates to a selective reduction of esters to their corresponding alcohols.

Disclosed are a novel catalyst system which is a catalyst system for selectively oligomerizing olefin including ethylene and may trimerize and tetramerize olefin, different from the catalyst system for olefin oligomerization reported until now, and a method for preparing an olefin oligomer using same. The present invention provides catalyst system for olefin oligomerization, including ligand compound represented by Formula 1 or 2; a chromium compound; and a metal alkyl compound, and a method for preparing an olefin oligomer using same.

A formic acid decomposition catalyst system includes organometallic complexes having formula 1:

##STR00001## wherein: M is a transition metal; E is P, N, or C (as in imidazolium carbene); R.sub.1, R.sub.2 are independently C.sub.1-6 alkyl groups; o is 1, 2, 3, or 4; R.sub.3 are independently hydrogen, C.sub.1-6 alkyl groups, OR.sub.14, NO.sub.2, halogen; R.sub.4, R.sub.5, R.sub.6, R.sub.7, R.sub.8, R.sub.9, R.sub.10, R.sub.11, R.sub.12, R.sub.13, R.sub.15, R.sub.16 are independently hydrogen or C.sub.1-6 alkyl groups; R.sub.14 is a C.sub.1-6 alkyl group; and X.sup. is a negatively charge counter ion.

An oxidative homocoupling method of synthesizing certain 2,2-bithiophenes from thiophenes using oxygen as the terminal oxidant is disclosed. In non-limiting examples, the method uses oxygen along with a catalytic system that includes palladium, an assistive ligand, and a non-palladium metal additive to catalyze one of the following reactions:

##STR00001##

Associated catalytic systems and compositions are also disclosed.

A method is provided of forming an olefin from a first olefin and a second olefin in a metathesis reaction, comprising reacting the first olefin with the second olefin in the presence of a compound that catalyzes the metathesis reaction such that the molar ratio of the compound to the first or the second olefin is from 1:500 or less, and the conversion of the first or the second olefin to the olefin is at least 30%.

This invention relates generally to olefin metathesis catalysts, to the preparation of such compounds, compositions comprising such compounds, methods of using such compounds, and the use of such compounds in the metathesis of olefins and in the synthesis of related olefin metathesis catalysts. The invention has utility in the fields of catalysis, organic synthesis, polymer chemistry, and in industrial applications such as oil and gas, fine chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.

This application is in the field of technologies for desulfurization and demercaptanization of raw gaseous hydrocarbons (including natural gas, tail gas, technological gas, etc., including gaseous media). It can be used for simultaneous dehydration and desulfurization/demercaptanization of any kind of raw gaseous hydrocarbons.

Methods and compositions for use in the preparation of MOF-based non-PGM electrocatalysts including combining transition metal compounds with organic ligands and secondary building units to create a solid mixture, heating the solid mixture to form a MOF through a solid-state reaction, optionally heating the MOF to convert it to an electrocatalyst via pyrolysis, and optionally post-treating. The electrode catalysts may be used in various electrochemical systems, including a proton exchange membrane fuel cell.

This application is in the field of technologies for desulfurization and demercaptanization of raw gaseous hydrocarbons (including natural gas, tail gas, technological gas, etc, including gaseous media). It can be used for simultaneous dehydration and desulfurization/demercaptanization of any kind of raw gaseous hydrocarbons.

The present disclosure relates in part to novel complexes of unsymmetrical N-heterocylic carbene (NHC) ligands and group 10 or 11 metals. The present disclosure further relates to methods of electrophilic functionalization of alkynes and/or nitriles using the NHC catalysts described herein.