Compounds can be used as catalysts, particularly in ring-opening polymerization reactions, including ring-opening co-polymerization (ROCOP) reactions, or in isocyanate trimerization reactions. The compounds have the formula L-M-X.sub.n, where L is a pyridyl-bis(iminophenolate) ligand, M is a metal ion, X is a co-ligand to balance the charge of the compound, and n is an integer from 0 to 7. The compounds can be prepared by base condensation of a pyridyl-diamine compound with an aldehyde or ketone.

The invention relates to a process for the carbonylation of epoxides in the presence of catalyst systems, in which the carbonylation is carried out in the presence of carbon monoxide, and wherein the catalyst system comprises a vanadium-based, chromium-based, manganese-based and/or tungsten-based compound, preferably a tungsten-based compound. The invention further relates to carbonylation products and carbonylation conversion products and to the use of catalyst systems according to the invention for carbonylation of epoxides.

Phosphine phosphonate and phenoxyphosphine ligands bearing polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains are used as described herein to produce heterobimetallic catalysts. The ligands can be metallated selectively with palladium or nickel and secondary metal ions to provide well-defined heterobimetallic compounds. These heterobimetallic complexes exhibit accelerated reaction rates and greater thermal stability in olefin polymerization compared to other catalysts.

Metal ion-directed carboxylic acid functionalized polyoxometalate hybrid compounds, and their preparation method and applications in catalyzing the degradation of chemical warfare agent simulants. In the synthesis, Na.sub.2MoO.sub.4, p-hydroxybenzonic acid (PHBA), alanine (Ala), KCl, transition metal cations and As.sub.2O.sub.3 as raw materials and water are used as solvent. At room temperature, 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES) and the prepared polyoxometalate hybrid compounds were mixed together in anhydrous ethanol and stirred, and H.sub.2O.sub.2 was subsequently added into the reaction system. The catalytic reaction for the degradation of CEES was finished within 5 min under stirring. In the catalytic hydrolysis of diethyl cyanophosphonate (DECP), the catalyst, DECP, DMF and H.sub.2O were put together and mixed fully. The prepared polyoxometalate hybrid compounds have the advantages of high conversion, high selectivity and easy recyclability in catalyzing the degradation of two types of chemical warfare agent simulant.

The present invention describes a catalyst composition for use as a catalyst system for an ethylene oligomerization, providing high activity and produce linear oligomer product having broad weight percent distribution i.e. C.sub.4 to C.sub.16. The catalyst composition comprises a zirconium amide compound, an organoaluminum compound and an additive. The present invention also provides a process for preparation of the zirconium amide compound comprising reacting a zirconium component having formula ZrX.sub.m.nTHF, wherein X is halogen atom; m is an integer having value equal or less than 4 and n is a number equal or less than 2, and a substituted amide of formula RCONR′R″, wherein R, R′ and R″ are saturated or unsaturated aliphatic C.sub.1-C.sub.10 hydrocarbon or aromatic C.sub.6-C.sub.14 hydrocarbon, in the presence of an organic solvent.

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 unimolecular metal complexes having increased activity in the copolymerization of carbon dioxide and epoxides. Also provided are methods of using such metal complexes in the synthesis of polymers. According to one aspect, the present invention provides metal complexes comprising an activating species with catalytic activity tethered to a ligand that is coordinated to the active metal center of the complex.

A field of asymmetric catalytic synthesis, and in particular a preparation method for a high optical indoxacarb intermediate includes reacting 5-chloro-2-methoxycarbonyl-1-indanone ester (or indanone ester for short) with an oxidizing agent in the presence of a chiral Zr-salen polymer to obtain an indoxacarb intermediate (2S)-5-chloro-2,3-dihydro-2-hydroxy-1-oxo-1H-indole-2-carboxylic acid methyl ester. The yield is stabilized between 86% and 90%, and the S-enantiomer content is up to 99%. Such catalyst can replace catalysts such as cinchonine, and greatly increase the content of the effective S-enantiomer of the indoxacarb, so that the content of the hydroxyl intermediate S-enantiomer of the indoxacarb is raised from 75% to 99% or more. In addition, the chiral Zr-salen polymer catalyst is recycled without retreatment, and can be recycled at least 5 times or more, greatly reducing the production cost and laying a foundation for the industrial production of high quality indoxacarb.

The present invention provides a method for preparing a cyclic carbonate, which has the advantages of high yield, mild reaction conditions, high catalytic efficiency under room temperature and 1 atm pressure conditions, and wide substrate scopes. It is not only suitable for monosubstituted epoxides, but also suitable for disubstituted epoxides. The method comprises the step of reacting epoxides of Formula (I) with carbon dioxide in the presence of a quaternary ammonium salt and a catalyst, to obtain a cyclic carbonate of Formula (II). The reaction formula is:

##STR00001##

A process for the ring-opening copolymerisation of epoxides with carbon dioxide for the preparation of a polycarbonate is described. Also described are catalysts useful in the aforementioned process. The heterobimetallic catalysts present a number of advantages over catalysts that have conventionally been used for this process.