The present invention provides a class of catalyst compounds that can safely and effectively release hydrogen gas from a chemical substrate without producing either noxious byproducts or byproducts that will deactivate the catalyst. The present invention provides catalysts used to produce hydrogen that has a satisfactory and sufficient lifespan (measured by turnover number (TON)), that has stability in the presence of moisture, air, acid, or impurities, promote a rapid reaction rate, and remain stable under the reaction conditions required for an effective hydrogen production system. Described herein are compounds for use as catalysts, as well as methods for producing hydrogen from formic acid and/or a formate using the disclosed catalysts. The methods include contacting formic acid and/or a formate with a catalyst as described herein, as well as methods of producing formic acid and/or a formate using the disclosed catalyst and methods for generating electricity using the catalysts described herein.

Disclosed are a novel catalyst system which is a catalyst system for selectively oligomerizing olefin including ethylene and may trimerize and tetramerize olefin, different from the catalyst system for olefin oligomerization reported until now, and a method for preparing an olefin oligomer using same. The present invention provides a catalyst system for olefin oligomerization, including a ligand compound represented by Formula 1; a chromium compound; and a metal alkyl compound, and a method for preparing an olefin oligomer using same.

Novel crystalline porous materials known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and methods for their synthesis are provided herein. The MOFs include a M.sub.6(μ.sub.3-OH).sub.8(OH).sub.8(μ.sup.2,η.sup.2-(O.sub.2C).sub.2cyclam).sub.8 cluster, and a metal atom coordinated to the one or more cyclam of the cluster, wherein M is Zr or Hf, and the metal atom is any one of Cu, Ni, Cr, Ru, Co, and Gd. The MOFs can be used as an adsorbent, alone or in a medium with other components, of CO.sub.2. The MOFs can also be used as a catalyst for the transformation of CO.sub.2 and epoxides to cyclic carbonates. The MOFs can also be used in the electrochemical catalytic reduction of CO.sub.2. The MOFs can also be used for photocatalytic CO.sub.2 reduction for the production of carbon-based fossil fuels. The MOFs can also be used for light-induced nitric oxide (NO) release. The MOFs can also be used as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) agents.

A method for synthesizing a chiral -hydroxy acid ester compound is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: using an aldehyde compound and a monoalkyl malonate as raw materials, using a metal and a chiral ligand as a catalyst to make the raw materials be directly and fully reacted in an organic solvent and form a reaction solution, and separating and purifying the reaction solution to obtain the highly stereoselective -hydroxy acid ester compound. The beneficial effects are mainly embodied in: 1. simple operation; 2. rapidly constructing a highly stereoselective -hydroxy acid ester skeleton structure molecule; 3. high reaction yield and good stereoselectivity. Therefore, the invention has high basic research significance, industrial production value and social economic benefit.

The present invention relates to a method of generating chlorine dioxide from chlorite salts in the presence of an iron ion-containing complex, a method of treating a substrate with a chlorine-containing oxidant in the presence of an iron ion-containing complex and related aqueous media, kits and compositions.

The present invention provides a magnetic Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 nanosphere with PNH surface modification and application thereof in water treatment. First, 2,2-bipyridyl-5,5-dicarboxylic acid is reacted with thionyl chloride to obtain 2,2-bipyridyl-5,5-diacid chloride; then 2,2-bipyridyl-5,5-diacid chloride and 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane react in the presence of triethylamine to obtain a polynitrogen heterocyclic polymer; the polynitrogen heterocyclic polymer is added into an aqueous solution with iron salt to obtain a magnetic Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 nanosphere with PNH surface modification which has strong light absorption ability, which improves its ability to catalyze in degradation of tetracycline under visible light, so that the pollutants are removed from water.

The present invention relates to a method of generating chlorine dioxide from chlorite salts in the presence of a manganese ion-containing complex, a method of treating a substrate with a chlorine-containing oxidant in the presence of a manganese ion-containing complex and related aqueous media, kits and compositions.

Novel compositions of matter based on homopiperazine precursor materials and forming a homopiperazine-based ligand are disclosed, along with suitable techniques and materials for the synthesis and utilization thereof. In particular various synthetic schemes and techniques for applying the disclosed compositions of matter as a decontaminating agent. The decontaminating agents include homopiperazine-based ligand-metal complexes that are particularly effective at neutralizing toxicity of nerve agents, pesticides, and other toxic organophosphorus-based compounds. In preferred approaches, the homopiperazine-based ligand-metal complexes act as catalysts to facilitate substitution of a leaving group of the organophosphorus-based compound with a functional group that does not permit the organophosphorus-based compound to inactivate acetylcholinesterase upon introduction of the organophosphorus-based compound to a living organism such as insects and mammals. Advantageously, the catalytic homopiperazine-based ligand-metal complexes are formed using inexpensive, readily-available precursor materials, and may be utilized to neutralize toxins without relying on damaging caustic reactants or environmentally unfriendly organic solvents.

A method for producing an olefin oligomer is disclosed, in which an olefin oligomerization reaction is performed in the presence of an olefin oligomerization catalyst comprising (A) a chromium compound, (B) an amine compound of the general formula (1):

##STR00001##

(R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 represent a group such as a hydrocarbon group, Y represents a structure represented by CR.sup.5R.sup.6, R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 represent a group such as a hydrogen atom, and Z represents an integer of 1 to 10),
and (C) a compound such as an organometal compound; and the olefin oligomerization catalyst.

A method for synthesizing a chiral -hydroxy acid ester compound is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: using an aldehyde compound and a monoalkyl malonate as raw materials, using a metal and a chiral ligand as a catalyst to make the raw materials be directly and fully reacted in an organic solvent and form a reaction solution, and separating and purifying the reaction solution to obtain the highly stereoselective -hydroxy acid ester compound. The beneficial effects are mainly embodied in: 1. simple operation; 2. rapidly constructing a highly stereoselective -hydroxy acid ester skeleton structure molecule; 3. high reaction yield and good stereoselectivity. Therefore, the invention has high basic research significance, industrial production value and social economic benefit.