Disclosed are methods for synthesizing an ester or a carboxylic acid from an organic alcohol. To form the ester one reacts, in the presence of oxygen gas, the alcohol with methanol or ethanol. This reaction occurs in the presence of a catalyst comprising palladium and a co-catalyst comprising bismuth, tellurium, lead, cerium, titanium, zinc and/or niobium (most preferably at least bismuth and tellurium). Alternatively that catalyst can be used to generate an acid from that alcohol, when water is also added to the reaction mix.

A method of producing a hydrofluoroolefin includes reacting a chlorofluoroolefin that is represented by Formula (I) or Formula (II) and that has 8 or less carbon atoms with a hydrogen molecule, in the presence of an intermetallic compound containing at least one first metal that is selected from the group consisting of palladium, platinum, rhodium, copper and iridium, and containing a second metal that is different from the first metal, to obtain a hydrofluoroolefin in which a hydrogen atom is substituted for at least a chlorine atom represented by Cl among chlorine atoms contained in Formula (I) or Formula (II). ##STR00001##

This invention relates to heterogeneous catalysts useful for selective hydrogenation of unsaturated hydrocarbons, comprising palladium and optionally a promoter, supported on a substrate, having an uncoated BET surface area of 9 m.sup.2/g, the surface being coated with an ionic liquid. Also described are methods of making the catalysts and methods of selective hydrogenation of acetylene and/or dienes in front-end mixed olefin feed streams.

This invention relates to heterogeneous catalysts useful for selective hydrogenation of unsaturated hydrocarbons, comprising palladium and optionally a promoter, supported on a substrate, having an uncoated BET surface area of 9 m.sup.2/g, the surface being coated with an ionic liquid. Also described are methods of making the catalysts and methods of selective hydrogenation of acetylene and/or dienes in front-end mixed olefin feed streams.

To provide a method for producing a hydrofluoroolefin, wherein formation of an over-reduced product having hydrogen added to a material chlorofluoroolefin and an over-reduced product having not only chlorine atoms but also fluorine atoms in the chlorofluoroolefin replaced with hydrogen atoms, as by-products, is suppressed.

A method for producing a hydrofluoroolefin, which comprises reacting a specific chlorofluoroolefin with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst supported on a carrier, to obtain a specific hydrofluoroolefin, wherein the catalyst is a catalyst composed of an alloy containing at least one platinum group element selected from the group consisting of palladium and platinum, and at least one second element selected from the group consisting of manganese, copper, aluminum, gold, lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, silver, zinc, cadmium, indium, silicon, germanium, tin, lead, arsenic, antimony and bismuth.

Disclosed are methods for synthesizing an ester or a carboxylic acid from an organic alcohol. To form the ester one reacts, in the presence of oxygen gas, the alcohol with methanol or ethanol. This reaction occurs in the presence of a catalyst comprising palladium and a co-catalyst comprising bismuth, tellurium, lead, cerium, titanium, zinc and/or niobium (most preferably at least bismuth and tellurium). Alternatively that catalyst can be used to generate an acid from that alcohol, when water is also added to the reaction mix.

A metal loaded catalyst comprises a support and main active metal components and optional auxiliary active metal components, wherein the main active metal components are elementary substances and obtained by ionizing radiation reducing precursors of main active metal components. The catalyst can be widely used in the catalytic reactions of petrochemistry industry with high activity and selectivity. The catalyst can be used directly without being reduced preliminarily by hydrogen.

Disclosed are methods for synthesizing an ester or a carboxylic acid from an organic alcohol. To form the ester one reacts, in the presence of oxygen gas, the alcohol with methanol or ethanol. This reaction occurs in the presence of a catalyst comprising palladium and a co-catalyst comprising bismuth, tellurium, lead, cerium, titanium, zinc and/or niobium (most preferably at least bismuth and tellurium). Alternatively that catalyst can be used to generate an acid from that alcohol, when water is also added to the reaction mix.

A process for preparing an aromatic isocyanate by direct carbonylation of a nitro aromatic compound by reacting the nitro aromatic compound with carbon monoxide in the presence of a catalyst, characterized in that the catalyst contains a multi metallic material comprising one or more binary intermetallic phases of the general formula A.sub.xB.sub.y wherein: A is one or more element selected from Ni, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ir, Pt and Ag, B is one or more element selected from Sn, Sb, Pb, Zn, Ga, In, Ge and As, x is in the range 0.1-10, y in is in the range 0.1-10.