Disclosed herein are processes of making furan-based polyamides using solvent-free melt condensation of a diamine and an ester derivative of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid with a C.sub.2 to C.sub.12 aliphatic diol or a polyol. The processes comprise a) forming a reaction mixture by mixing one or more diamines, a diester comprising an ester derivative of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid with a C.sub.2 to C.sub.12 aliphatic diol or a polyol, and a catalyst, such that the diamine is present in an excess amount of at least 1 mol % with respect to the diester amount; and b) melt polycondensing the reaction mixture in the absence of a solvent at a temperature in the range of 60° C. to a maximum temperature of 250° C. under an inert atmosphere, while removing alkyl alcohol to form a furan-based polyamide, wherein the one or more diamines comprises an aliphatic diamine, an aromatic diamine, or an alkylaromatic diamine.

Hydroxypropionic acid, hydroxypropionic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof are dehydrated using a catalyst and a method to produce bio-acrylic acid, acrylic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof. A method to produce the dehydration catalyst is also provided.

Method and catalyst for producing methylbenzyl alcohol from ethanol by catalytic conversion. A route and corresponding catalysts for directly producing methylbenzyl alcohols through catalytic conversion starting from ethanol, providing an important alternative route for increasing the production of aromatic oxygenates. The selectivity of the methylbenzyl alcohols is up to 60%. At the same time, the prepared catalysts have excellent stability. Moreover, this innovative reaction route produces hydrogen as co-product without CO, thus can be directly used in chemical reactions and fuel cells. In addition, the route also produces high carbon number alcohols which can be used as fuels or oil additives to partially replace petroleum-based products, thus partly reducing the dependence on petroleum.

Method and catalyst for producing methylbenzyl alcohol from ethanol by catalytic conversion. A route and corresponding catalysts for directly producing methylbenzyl alcohols through catalytic conversion starting from ethanol, providing an important alternative route for increasing the production of aromatic oxygenates. The selectivity of the methylbenzyl alcohols is up to 60%. At the same time, the prepared catalysts have excellent stability. Moreover, this innovative reaction route produces hydrogen as co-product without CO, thus can be directly used in chemical reactions and fuel cells. In addition, the route also produces high carbon number alcohols which can be used as fuels or oil additives to partially replace petroleum-based products, thus partly reducing the dependence on petroleum.

The present invention relates to a method for producing an antibacterial photocatalytic ceramic that comprises: making available amorphous Ti; making available a biomimetic material or a biomaterial based on calcium phosphate; functionalizing said biomimetic material or said biomaterial based on calcium phosphate, with said amorphous Ti, obtaining a functionalized and oriented composite; adding said functionalized composite to a ceramic mixture, and/or applying said functionalized composite on a ceramic semi-finished product, where ceramic semi-finished product means the ceramic material before baking; applying said functionalized composite on a ceramic semi-finished product; baking at a temperature between 600 and 1400 C., preferably between 900 and 1300 C., for a time that varies from 20 to 500 minutes, obtaining an antibacterial photocatalytic ceramic.

The present invention further relates to a photocatalytic ceramic material that comprises a biomimetic material having a nanostructured hierarchical structure with macro and micro cavities, within which TiO.sub.2 is included in the crystalline form of rutile, and tiles, sanitary ware and tableware comprising same.

An oxygen transfer agent comprising a metal-boron oxide is provided. The average oxidation state of the metal in the metal-boron oxide is about 3+, and has 10% or less of a stoichiometric excess in moles of Mn with respect to the boron. The oxygen transfer agent may further comprise a magnesia-phosphate cement. The oxygen transfer agent is capable of oxidatively dehydrogenating a hydrocarbon feed at reaction conditions to produce a dehydrogenated hydrocarbon product and water. The oxidative dehydrogenation can take place under reaction conditions of less than 1000 ppm weight molecular oxygen, or in the presence of more than 1000 ppm weight of molecular oxygen. Also provided are methods of using the oxygen transfer agents, and an apparatus for effecting the oxidative dehydrogenation of the hydrocarbon feed.

Provided is a photocatalyst including a photocatalyst in which part of calcium ions are substituted with titanium ions, and part of phosphoric acid ions are substituted with metal oxoacid ions in a calcium hydroxyapatite crystal structure.

A composition or material, in particular a catalytically active composition or material, a process for producing the composition or material, a composition or material obtained or obtainable by the process, and uses of the composition or material. The composition or material includes a permanently polarized hydroxyapatite and a brushite and/or a brushite-like material.

Disclosed herein are processes of making furan-based polyamides using solvent-free melt condensation of a diamine and an ester derivative of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid with a C.sub.2 to C.sub.12 aliphatic diol or a polyol. The processes comprise a) forming a reaction mixture by mixing one or more diamines, a diester comprising an ester derivative of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid with a C.sub.2 to C.sub.12 aliphatic diol or a polyol, and a catalyst, such that the diamine is present in an excess amount of at least 1 mol % with respect to the diester amount; and b) melt polycondensing the reaction mixture in the absence of a solvent at a temperature in the range of 60 C. to a maximum temperature of 250 C. under an inert atmosphere, while removing alkyl alcohol to form a furan-based polyamide, wherein the one or more diamines comprises an aliphatic diamine, an aromatic diamine, or an alkylaromatic diamine.

Hydroxypropionic acid, hydroxypropionic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof are dehydrated using a catalyst and a method to produce bio-acrylic acid, acrylic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof. A method to produce the dehydration catalyst is also provided.