Systems and methods are provided for selective oxidation of CO and/or C.sub.3 hydrocarbonaceous compounds in a reaction environment including hydrocarbons and/or hydrocarbonaceous components. The selective oxidation can be performed by exposing the CO and/or C.sub.3 hydrocarbonaceous compounds to a catalytic metal that is encapsulated in a small pore zeolite. The small pore zeolite containing the encapsulated metal can have a sufficiently small pore size to reduce or minimize the types of hydrocarbons or hydrocarbonaceous compounds that can interact with the encapsulated metal.

A hydrogen generation method including steps as follows: adding a nitrogen-substituted derivative of an alkyldithiolate ruthenium complex as a biomimetic hydrogenase photocatalyst into a solution, adding an organic acid into the solution, adding a P-ligand into the solution, adding an electron donor into the solution, and irradiating the solution with light in order to generate hydrogen.

Systems and methods are provided for selective oxidation of CO and/or C.sub.3 hydrocarbonaceous compounds in a reaction environment including hydrocarbons and/or hydrocarbonaceous components. The selective oxidation can be performed by exposing the CO and/or C.sub.3 hydrocarbonaceous compounds to a catalytic metal that is encapsulated in a small pore zeolite. The small pore zeolite containing the encapsulated metal can have a sufficiently small pore size to reduce or minimize the types of hydrocarbons or hydrocarbonaceous compounds that can interact with the encapsulated metal.

Compound of formula (4) or formula (5), wherein L is a neutral ligand, preferably a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic carbene (NHC) such as carbene containing at least two nitrogen atoms, a cyclic aminoalkyl carbene (CAAC) or a bicyclic aminoalkyl carbene (BICAAC); R.sup.1, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.6, R.sup.7, R.sup.8, R.sup.9, R.sup.10 and R.sup.11 are, independently, H, unbranched or branched C.sub.1-20 alkyl, C.sub.5-9 cycloalkyl, unbranched or branched C.sub.1-20 alkoxy, optionally bearing one or more halogen atoms, respectively; or aryl, optionally substituted with one or more of unbranched or branched C.sub.1-20 alkyl, C.sub.5-9 cycloalkyl, unbranched or branched C.sub.1-20 alkoxy, aryl, aryloxy, unbranched or branched C.sub.1-20 alkylcarbonyl, arylcarbonyl, unbranched or branched C.sub.1-20 alkoxycarbonyl, aryloxycarbonyl, heteroaryl, carboxyl, cyano, nitro, amido, aminosulfonyl, N-heteroarylsulfonyl, unbranched or branched C.sub.1-20 alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, unbranched or branched C.sub.1-20 alkylsulfinyl, arylsulfinyl, unbranched or branched C.sub.1-20 alkylthio, arylthio, sulfonamide, halogen or N(R.sup.y)(R.sup.z), wherein R.sup.y and R.sup.z are independently selected from H and C.sub.1-20 alkyl: R.sup.C is H, unbranched or branched C.sub.1-20 alkyl. ##STR00001##

The present disclosure provides a method for efficiently producing and providing compounds having a spirooxindole skeleton, for example compounds having a spirooxindole skeleton and having antitumor activity that inhibit the interaction between Mdm2 protein and p53 protein, or intermediates thereof, using an asymmetric catalyst. Compounds having optically active tricyclic dispiroindole skeletons are obtained through catalytic asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction using ketimine as a reaction substrate and using a chiral ligand and a Lewis acid.

A method for the production of hydrocarbon(s), such as methane, substituted hydrocarbons, such as methanol, or the production of hydrogen, the method comprising the steps of contacting a first catalyst with water in order to photocatalyse the splitting of at least some of the water into hydrogen and oxygen; and contacting a second catalyst with a gas stream comprising carbon dioxide and at least some of the hydrogen produced from step (a) in order to photocatalyse the reaction between the hydrogen and carbon dioxide to produce hydrocarbon(s), such as methane, and/or substituted hydrocarbons, such as methanol. In an embodiment, the catalyst comprises gold and or ruthenium nanoclusters supported on a substrate.

Polymerisation catalysts and systems comprising said catalysts for polymerising carbon dioxide and an epoxide, a lactide and/or lactone, and/or an epoxide and an anhydride. The catalyst is of formula (I):

##STR00001##

Wherein M.sub.1 and M.sub.2 are independently selected from Zn(II), Cr(II), Co(II), Cu(II), Mn(II), Ni(II), Mg(II), Fe(II), Ti(II), V(II), Cr(III)-X, Co(III)-X, Ni(III)-X, Mn(III)-X, Fe(III)-X, Ca(II), Ge(II), AI(III)-X, Ti(III)-X, V(III)-X, Ge(IV)-(X).sub.2 or Ti(IV)-(X).sub.2. R.sub.3A is different from R.sub.3B; and/or at least one occurrence of E.sub.3, E.sub.4, E.sub.5 and E.sub.6 is different to a remaining occurrence of E.sub.3, E.sub.4, E.sub.5 and E.sub.6. A ligand, a process of asymmetric N-substitution of a symmetrical ligand and a process for the reaction of: (i) carbon dioxide with an epoxide; (ii) an epoxide and an anhydride; and/or (iii) a lactide and/or a lactone, in the presence of a catalyst is also described.

Method of making a cross metathesis product, the method comprising at least step (X) or step (Y): (X) reacting in a cross metathesis reaction a first compound comprising a terminal olefinic group with a second compound comprising a terminal olefinic group, wherein the first and the second compound may be identical or may be different from one another; or (Y) reacting in a ring-closing metathesis reaction two terminal olefinic groups which are comprised in a third compound; wherein the reacting in step (X) or step (Y) is performed in the presence of a ruthenium carbene complex comprising a [RuC]-moiety and an internal olefin.

A highly efficient, Z-selective ring-closing metathesis system for the formation of macrocycles using a stereoretentive, ruthenium-based catalyst supported by a dithiolate ligand is reported. This catalyst is demonstrated to be remarkably active as observed in initiation experiments showing complete catalyst initiation at 20 C. within 10 min. Using easily accessible diene starting materials bearing a Z-olefin moiety, macrocyclization reactions generated products with significantly higher Z-selectivity in appreciably shorter reaction times, in higher yield, and with much lower catalyst loadings than in previously reported systems. Macrocyclic lactones ranging in size from twelve-membered to seventeen-membered rings are synthesized in moderate to high yields (68-79% yield) with excellent Z-selectivity (95%-99% Z).

The present invention relates to the field of polymerisation catalysts, and systems comprising said catalysts for polymerising carbon dioxide and an epoxide, a lactide and/or lactone, and/or an epoxide and an anhydride. The catalyst is of formula (I): ##STR00001## Wherein M.sub.1 and M.sub.2 are independently selected from Zn(II), Cr(II), Co(II), Cu(II), Mn(II), Ni(II), Mg(II), Fe(II), Ti(II), V(II), Cr(III)-X, Co(III)-X, Ni(III)-X, Mn(III)-X, Fe(III)-X, Ca(II), Ge(II), Al(III)-X, Ti(III)-X, V(III)-X, Ge(IV)-(X).sub.2 or Ti(IV)-(X).sub.2. R.sub.3A is different from R.sub.3B; and/or at least one occurrence of E.sub.3, E.sub.4, E.sub.5 and E.sub.6 is different to a remaining occurrence of E.sub.3, E.sub.4, E.sub.5 and E.sub.6. A ligand, a process of asymmetric N-substitution of a symmetrical ligand and a process for the reaction of: (i) carbon dioxide with an epoxide; (ii) an epoxide and an anhydride; and/or (iii) a lactide and/or a lactone, in the presence of a catalyst is also described.