The present invention discloses new catalyst systems based on trivalent metal complexes of Formula I, which can facilitate the stereospecific ring-opening polymerization of (rac)-β-Butyrolactone (rac-BBL). Also provided is a process for the stereospecific synthesis of aliphatic polyesters using the catalysts of Formula I, including alcohols and polyols as chain-transfer agents to facilitate immortal ring-opening polymerization.

The invention relates to oligomerization of olefins, such as ethylene, to higher olefins, such as a mixture of 1-hexene and 1-octene, using a catalyst system that comprises a) a source of chromium b) one or more activators and c) a phosphacycle-containing ligating compound. Additionally, the invention relates to a phosphacycle-containing ligating compound and a process for making said compound.

In one aspect, phosphine compounds comprising three adamantyl moieties (PAd.sub.3) and associated synthetic routes are described herein. Each adamantyl moiety may be the same or different. For example, each adamantyl moiety (Ad) attached to the phosphorus atom can be independently selected from the group consisting of adamantane, diamantane, triamantane and derivatives thereof. Transition metal complexes comprising PAd.sub.3 ligands are also provided for catalytic synthesis including catalytic cross-coupling reactions.

The current invention relates a process for making and using a bulk catalyst precursor (i.e. no support material is added as such) comprising Ni and Mo and/or W and an organic component, wherein the molar ratio of C:(Mo+W) ranges from 1.5 to 10. The bulk catalyst precursor is prepared from a mixture of metal-precursors with an organic agent. The organic agent is partly decomposed to form a mixed metal-oxide/C phase which is in effect the bulk catalyst precursor. This bulk catalyst precursor (i) is effectively insoluble in water (ii) does not have any appreciable pore volume or surface area and (iii) does not contain a (nano)crystalline metal-oxide phase as characterized by XRD.

This invention relates generally to olefin metathesis catalyst compounds, to the preparation of such compounds, compositions comprising such compounds, methods of using such compounds, articles of manufacture comprising such compounds, and the use of such compounds in the metathesis of olefins and olefin compounds. The invention has utility in the fields of catalysts, organic synthesis, polymer chemistry, and industrial and fine chemicals industry.

The present disclosure provides compounds, compositions, and methods for preparing alkenyl halides and/or haloalkyl-substituted olefins with Z-selectivity. The methods are particularly useful for preparing alkenyl fluorides such as CF.sub.3-substituted olefins by means of cross-metathesis reactions using halogen-containing molybdenum and tungsten complexes.

The method relates to the field of asymmetric allylic amination and comprises preparing a chiral N-substituted allylic amine compound from the corresponding allylic substrates and substituted hydroxylamines, in the presence of a catalyst, said catalyst comprising copper compounds and a chiral ligand. Examples of chiral amine compounds which can be made using the method include Vigabatrin, Ezetimibe Terbinafine, Naftifine 3-methylmorphine, Sertraline, Cinacalcet, Mefloquine hydrochloride, and Rivastigmine. There are over 20,000 known bioactive molecules with chiral N-substituted allylic amine substructure. The method may also be used to produce non-natural chiral 13-aminoacid esters, a sub-class of chiral N-substituted allylic amine compounds. Examples of 13-aminoacid ester which can be produced by the disclosed method, include, but are not limited to, N-(2-methylpent-1-en-3-yl)benzenamine and Ethyl 2-methylene-3-(phenylamino)butanoate. Further, the products of the method described herein can be used to produce chiral heterocycles and bioactive molecules or materials. A novel chiral copper-BINAM nitrosoarene complex is also set forth.

The invention relates to oligomerization of olefins, such as ethylene, to higher olefins, such as a mixture of 1-hexene and 1-octene, using a catalyst system that comprises a) a source of chromium b) one or more activators and c) a phosphacycle-containing ligating compound. Additionally, the invention relates to a phosphacycle-containing ligating compound and a process for making said compound.

In one aspect, phosphine compounds comprising three adamantyl moieties (PAd.sub.3) and associated synthetic routes are described herein. Each adamantyl moiety may be the same or different. For example, each adamantyl moiety (Ad) attached to the phosphorus atom can be independently selected from the group consisting of adamantane, diamantane, triamantane and derivatives thereof. Transition metal complexes comprising PAd.sub.3 ligands are also provided for catalytic synthesis including catalytic cross-coupling reactions.

The present invention relates to the use of Ru and Os carbene complexes with a hydroxamic acid (ester) function for the metathesis degradation of nitrile rubber (NBR). The invention further relates to a method for producing hydrogenated nitrile rubbers, by subjecting a nitrile rubber to a metathesis degradation in the presence of the said catalyst, and the degraded nitrile rubber obtained subsequently undergoes a hydrogenation, preferably in situ.