A novel catalyst composition and its use in the dehydrogenation of alkanes to olefins. The catalyst comprises a Group VIII noble metal and a metal selected from the group consisting of manganese, vanadium, chromium, titanium, and combinations thereof, on a support. The Group VIII noble metal can be platinum, palladium, osmium, rhodium, rubidium, iridium, and combinations thereof. The support can be silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, aluminum oxide, silica-alumina, cerium dioxide, zirconium dioxide, magnesium oxide, metal modified silica, silica-pillared clays, silica-pillared micas, metal oxide modified silica-pillared mica, silica-pillared tetrasilicic mica, silica-pillared taeniolite, zeolite, molecular sieve, and combinations thereof. The catalyst composition is an active and selective catalyst for the catalytic dehydrogenation of alkanes to olefins.

The present invention refers to material comprising a compound of the formula ABOx wherein x is >1.5 and ≤2.5, A is independently selected from a transition metal of IUPAC groups 10 and 11, and B is independently selected from a transition metal of IUPAC group 6, 7, 8 or 9 or a main group element of IUPAC group 13, as highly active catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).

The present invention provides a method for producing a compound represented by formula (2), comprising at least a step of preparing a compound represented by formula (1) and a step of reacting the compound represented by formula (1) with a hydrogen source using a catalyst,

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each independently an alkyl group.

A catalyst composition comprises an acrolein-oxidizing catalyst comprising a mixed metal oxide catalyst of general formula (1):

MoV.sub.aA.sup.1.sub.bA.sup.2.sub.cA.sup.3.sub.dO.sub.m  (I)

in which A.sup.1 comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of W and Cu; A.sup.2 comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Sb, Fe, and Nb; A.sup.3 comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, Ta, Cr, Mn, Re, Ru, Co, Rh, Ir, Ni, Pd, Pt, Ag, Au, Zn, B, Al, Ga, In, Ge, Sn, Si, Te, Pb, P, As, Bi, Se, rare earth elements, alkaline elements, and alkaline earth elements; a ranges from 0.01 to 1.0; b ranges from 0.01 to 1.5; c ranges from 0 to 1.5; d ranges from 0 to 1.0; and m is dependent on the oxidation state of the other elements. The catalyst composition further comprises a finishing catalyst comprising a mixed metal oxide catalyst of general formula (II):

MoV.sub.wNb.sub.xX.sup.1.sub.yX.sup.2.sub.zO.sub.n  (II)

in which X.sup.1 comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Te and Sb; X.sup.2 comprises at least one an element selected from the group consisting of Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mn, Re, Fe, Ru, Co, Rh, Ir, Ni, Pd, Pt, Ag, Au, Zn, B, Al, Ga, In, Ge, Sn, Pb, P, As, Bi, Se, rare earth elements and alkaline earth elements; w ranges from 0.01 to 1.0; x ranges from 0.01 to 1.0; y ranges from 0.01 to 1.0; z ranges from 0 to 1.0; and n is depended on the oxidation state of the other elements. The finishing catalyst does not contain W or Cu, and has an X-ray diffraction pattern showing an orthorhombic phase as the major crystal phase with main peaks with 2θ at 6.7°, 7.8°, 22.1°, and 27.2°. The acrolein-oxidizing catalyst has a different chemical composition than the finishing catalyst. A process for producing acrylic acid is also disclosed.

The invention relates to a process for the production of ethylene glycol including the steps of: (i) reacting, in a reactor, at a temperature in the range from equal to or more than 170° C. to equal to or less than 270° C., at least a portion of a carbohydrate source in the presence of hydrogen, a solvent, a homogeneous catalyst, which homogeneous catalyst contains tungsten, and a heterogeneous catalyst, which heterogeneous catalyst contains one or more transition metals from groups 8, 9 and 10 of the Periodic Table of the Elements, yielding ethylene glycol and a spent heterogeneous catalyst; (ii) regenerating the spent heterogeneous catalyst by removing at least a portion of deposited tungsten species from the spent heterogeneous catalyst, yielding a regenerated heterogeneous catalyst; and (iii) using at least a portion of the regenerated heterogeneous catalyst as heterogeneous catalyst in the reaction of step (i). The invention further relates to a regenerated heterogeneous catalyst composition obtainable therein.

A photocatalyst is described that is suitable for converting molecular nitrogen into ammonia. The photocatalyst comprises a layered base material comprising 1 to 100 layers, the layered base material being selected from the group consisting of molybdenum disulfide, tungsten disulfide, molybdenum telluride, tungsten telluride, molybdenum selenide and tungsten selenide, a layered base material comprising 1 to 100 layers, the layered base material being selected from the group consisting of molybdenum disulfide, tungsten disulfide, molybdenum telluride, tungsten telluride, molybdenum selenide and tungsten selenide, and 0.1-10.0% by weight, relative to the weight of the base material, of one or more Group VI, VII, VIII, IX or X transition metals. T he photocatalyst can further comprise 0.1-50.0% by weight, relative to the weight of the base material, of one or more semiconductor materials having an average particle size of 0.5-50.0 nm. The photocatalyst exhibits high catalytic efficiency without the need for high temperature and pressure. Also described is a process for the preparation of the photocatalyst, as well as uses of the photocatalyst for converting molecular nitrogen into ammonia.

The present invention relates to a process for producing alcohols by hydrogenation of C13 aldehydes. The process according to the invention is performed in two consecutive hydrogenation stages, wherein the first hydrogenation stage employs an activated metal catalyst based on a nickel metal foam and the second stage employs a supported catalyst containing a catalytically active component from the group consisting of nickel, copper, chromium and mixtures thereof.

Systems and methods for using and regenerating a catalyst for producing acetic acid from ethane are disclosed. Feed stream comprising ethane and an oxidant including oxygen is flowed to a reactor, in which a catalyst comprising MoVNbPd oxide is disposed. The ethane and the oxidant are reacted in presence of the catalyst under reaction conditions sufficient to produce acetic acid. When the catalyst's ability to catalyze the reaction between the ethane and the oxidant is reduced by a predetermined percentage, the flow of the feed stream to the reactor is ceased. A regenerating gas stream is flowed through the reactor to contact the regenerating gas stream with the catalyst under operating conditions to increase the catalyst's ability to catalyze the reaction between the ethane and the oxidant.

A catalyst comprising a carrier and a metals component impregnated in the carrier, the carrier comprising alumina; and the metals component comprising a first metals fraction and a second metals fraction, the first metals fraction comprising at least one metal selected from chromium, molybdenum, or tungsten, and the second metals fraction comprising at least two metals selected from cobalt, rhodium, iridium, nickel, palladium, or platinum, wherein the catalyst has a first pore volume of 0.28 to 0.45 mL/g for pores having a pore diameter of 12 nm to less than 16 nm, and a second pore volume of 0.15 to 0.28 mL/g for pores of 2.0 nm to less than 12.0 nm.

A catalyst comprising a carrier and a metals component impregnated in the carrier, the carrier comprising alumina; and the metals component comprising a first metals fraction and a second metals fraction, the first metals fraction comprising at least one metal selected from chromium, molybdenum, or tungsten, and the second metals fraction comprising at least two metals selected from cobalt, rhodium, iridium, nickel, palladium, or platinum, wherein the catalyst has a first pore volume of 0.28 to 0.45 mL/g for pores having a pore diameter of 12 nm to less than 16 nm, and a second pore volume of 0.15 to 0.28 mL/g for pores of 2.0 nm to less than 12.0 nm.