The present disclosure relates generally to ceramic materials suitable for use as catalyst support materials, catalysts using such materials and methods for using them, such as methods for converting sugars, sugar alcohols, glycerol, and bio-renewable organic acids to commercially-valuable chemicals and intermediates. One aspect of the invention is a ceramic material including zirconium oxide and one or more metal oxides selected from nickel oxide, copper oxide, cobalt oxide, iron oxide and zinc oxide, the ceramic material being at least about 50 wt. % zirconium oxide. In certain embodiments, the ceramic material is substantially free of any binder, extrusion aid or additional stabilizing agent.

A compound of the formula Sb.sub.xFe.sub.1O.sub.y (I) in which x varies from 0.4 to 1 inclusive and y varies from 1.6 to 4 inclusive, may be used as a catalyst for catalyzing the ammoxidation reaction of an alcohol of following formula (II) CH.sub.2C(R.sup.1)CH.sub.2OH (II) in which R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl radical, to give nitrile of following formula (III) CH.sub.2C(R.sup.1)CN (III) in which R.sup.1 has the same meaning as in above formula (II), the said reaction being carried out in the gas phase, the said gas phase comprising at least oxygen and ammonia. The present invention also relates to the process for the ammoxidation of an alcohol of formula (II) employing a compound of formula (I) as catalyst.

A bimetal oxysulfide solid-solution catalyst is provided. The bimetal oxysulfide solid-solution catalyst is represented by formula (1):
M.sup.(1).sub.xM.sup.(2).sub.yO.sub.zS.sub.(1), wherein in formula (1), M.sup.(1) includes Copper (Cu) and M.sup.(2) includes monovalent Silver (Ag), divalent Zinc (Zn), Manganese (Mn), Nickel (Ni), Cobalt (Co), and Tin (Sn.sup.II), trivalent Indium (In), Cerium (Ce), Antimony (Sb), and Gallium (Ga), tetravalent Tin (Sn.sup.IV), or pentavalent Molybdenum (Mo), 0<y<0.3, 0.7<x<1.0, 0<z<0.5, and 0.5<<1.0. In addition, a manufacturing method of the bimetal oxysulfide solid-solution catalyst and applications of the bimetal oxysulfide solid-solution catalyst are also provided.