In one embodiment, the present application discloses a catalyst composition comprising: a) a reaction solvent or a reaction medium; b) organometallic nanoparticles comprising: i) a nanoparticle (NP) catalyst, prepared by a reduction of an iron salt in an organic solvent, wherein the catalyst comprises at least one other metal selected from the group consisting of Pd, Pt, Au, Ni, Co, Cu, Mn, Rh, Ir, Ru and Os or mixtures thereof; c) a ligand; and d) a surfactant; wherein the metal or mixtures thereof is present in less than or equal to 50,000 ppm relative to the iron salt.

In one embodiment, the present application discloses a catalyst composition comprising: a) a reaction solvent or a reaction medium; b) organometallic nanoparticles comprising: i) a nanoparticle (NP) catalyst, prepared by a reduction of an iron salt in an organic solvent, wherein the catalyst comprises at least one other metal selected from the group consisting of Pd, Pt, Au, Ni, Co, Cu, Mn, Rh, Ir, Ru and Os or mixtures thereof; c) a ligand; and d) a surfactant; wherein the metal or mixtures thereof is present in less than or equal to 50,000 ppm relative to the iron salt.

The present invention provides a complex of formula (1),

##STR00001##

wherein, M is palladium or nickel, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are independently organic groups having 1-20 carbon atoms, or R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are linked to form a ring structure with the phosphorus atom, R.sub.3 is selected from the group consisting of substituted and unsubstituted aryl, substituted and unsubstituted heteroaryl, and substituted and unsubstituted metallocenyl, R.sub.4 is an organic group having 1-20 carbon atoms, n is 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, and X is an anionic ligand. The invention also provides a process for the preparation of the complex, and its use in carbon-carbon or carbon-nitrogen coupling reactions.

A complex of formula (1), ##STR00001##
wherein, M is palladium or nickel, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are independently organic groups having 1-20 carbon atoms, or R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are linked to form a ring structure with the phosphorus atom, R.sub.3 is selected from the group consisting of substituted and unsubstituted aryl, substituted and unsubstituted heteroaryl, and substituted and unsubstituted metallocenyl, R.sub.4 is an organic group having 1-20 carbon atoms, n is 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, X is an anionic ligand. A process for the preparation of the complex, and its use in carbon-carbon or carbon-nitrogen coupling reactions is also provided.

A process for producing an aromatic compound in high yield and a palladium complex are provided. The palladium complex is represented by formula (D) or formula (D):

##STR00001##

In formula (D), X represents a chlorine atom, A represents an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, B represents an alkyl group having 4 to 20 carbon atoms or a cycloalkyl group having 5 to 10 carbon atoms, R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, or an alkoxy group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, and R.sup.6, R.sup.7 and R.sup.8 represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, an aryl group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms or a heteroaryl group having 4 to 20 carbon atoms.

##STR00002##

In formula (D), X, A, B and R.sup.4 to R.sup.8 are the same as defined above.

The present invention relates to a process for preparing 2,6-substituted phenols, and in particular to a process for preparing 2,6-diphenylphenol. This process is a doubling coupling of a boronic acid and a 2,6-dihalogenphenol in a Suzuki-Miyaura reaction on sterically hindered ortho positions. In a preferred embodiment, this process takes place in a continuous flow system. The present invention further relates to the composition obtained by this process, and to the use of this composition for preparing poly(2,6-diphenylphenylene oxide), for the manufacture of dyes, drugs, plastics, insulating materials and/or insecticides, and for use in medical applications and material research.

##STR00001##

In one aspect, phosphine compounds comprising three adamantyl moieties (PAd.sub.3) and associated synthetic routes are described herein. Each adamantyl moiety may be the same or different. For example, each adamantyl moiety (Ad) attached to the phosphorus atom can be independently selected from the group consisting of adamantane, diamantane, triamantane and derivatives thereof. Transition metal complexes comprising PAd.sub.3 ligands are also provided for catalytic synthesis including catalytic cross-coupling reactions.

The present invention relates to a novel class of benzimidazolyl/imidazolyl phosphine ligands, methods of preparing such ligands via a simple one-pot protocol, and applications of the ligands in catalytic reactions.

Provided herein are nickel(O) catalysts that are stable when exposed to air and can be used to catalyze the formation of a CC, CO, or CN bond.

Provided are: a polymer-supported phosphane compound exhibiting excellent catalytic reaction activity; a complex including the compound and a transition metal; and a catalyst including the complex. This polymer compound includes: units of threefold styrene cross-linked phosphane; and styrene units having substituent groups (R) in position 4 (provided that R represents hydrogen, a C1-6 lower alkyl group, a C1-6 lower alkoxy group, or a polar functional group). In the formula in which the polymer compound includes structure (1), PS represents a polystyrene unit chain including the styrene units having the substituent groups (R). The complex includes the polymer and a transition metal. The catalyst for an organic compound coupling reaction includes the complex. ##STR00001##