A catalyst and a method for preparing S-indoxacarb using the catalyst. The catalyst is prepared using 3-tert-butyl-5-(chloromethyl)salicylaldehyde and cyclohexanediamine as raw materials, where an original quinine catalyst such as cinchonine is replaced with the catalyst for application in the asymmetric synthesis of tert-butyl hydroperoxide and 5-chloro-2-methoxycarbonyl-1-indanone ester, greatly improving selection in the asymmetric synthesis process, with the S-enantiomer content increasing from 75% to over 98%, achieving the recycling of a high-efficiency chiral catalyst, and greatly reducing production costs. The synthesis process of the catalyst is simple and is favorable for industrialization, and lays good foundations for the production of high-quality indoxacarb.

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 β-aminoacid esters, a sub-class of chiral N-substituted allylic amine compounds. Examples of β-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-ligand nitrosoarene complex is also set forth.

The present invention provides novel solutions to the problem of recycling carbonylation catalysts in epoxide carbonylation processes. The inventive methods are characterized in that the catalyst is recovered in a form other than as active catalyst. In some embodiments, catalyst components are removed selectively from the carbonylation product stream in two or more processing steps. One or more of these separated catalyst components are then utilized to regenerate active catalyst which is utilized during another time interval to feed a continuous carbonylation reactor.

Subject of the invention is a process for producing a biofuel from fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) obtained by transesterification of vegetable oils, comprising the steps of (a) ethenolysis of the fatty acid methyl esters in the presence of ethylene and an ethenolysis catalyst, and (b) isomerizing metathesis in the presence of an isomerization catalyst and a metathesis catalyst.

The invention also relates to biofuels obtainable by the inventive process and to uses of ethylene for adjusting and optimizing biofuels.

The present invention provides novel ruthenium or osmium based complex structures with a unique combination of ligands comprising a Schiff-base type ligand, a N-heterocyclic carbene ligand and a CO ligand which can be prepared according to two different routes involving easily accessible starting materials and which represent excellent catalysts for hydrogenating unsaturated compounds, oligomers and polymers, in particular at unforeseeably low temperatures. ##STR00001##

Disclosed herein is a method for selectively reducing, using electrical energy, CO.sub.2 to formic acid, a catalyst for use in the method, and an electrochemical reduction system. The method for producing formic acid by electrochemically reducing carbon dioxide of the present invention includes (a) reacting carbon dioxide with a metal complex represented by formula (1), and (b) applying a voltage to a reaction product of the carbon dioxide and the metal complex represented by formula (1):

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The present invention relates to methods for improving carbon capture using entrained catalytic-particles within an amine solvent. The particles are functionalized and appended with a CO.sub.2 hydration catalyst to enhance the kinetics of CO.sub.2 hydration and improve overall mass transfer of CO.sub.2 from an acid gas.

Polyisocyanate-based polymers are formed by curing a reaction mixture containing at least one polyisocyanate and at least one isocyanate-reactive compound having at least two isocyanate-reactive groups in the presence of a copper catalyst that contains at least one copper atom associated with a polydentate ligand that contains at least one nitrogen-containing complexing site.

The present invention provides novel metal complexes, methods of making, and methods of using the same.

Provided are methods of carbonylating cyclic substrates to produce carbonylated cyclic products. The cyclic substrates may be 2, 2-di substituted epoxides and the cyclic products may be β,β-di substituted lactones. The method may be carried out by forming and pressurizing a reaction mixture of the cyclic substrate, a solvent, carbon monoxide, and a [LA.sup.+][CO(CO)4.sup.−] catalyst, where [LA.sup.+] is a Lewis acid capable of coordinating to the cyclic substrate. The method may proceed with a regio selectivity of 90:10 or greater. The resulting carbonylated cyclic products may be converted to ketone aldol products that retain the stereochemistry and enantiomeric ratio of the carbonylated cyclic products.