The present invention relates to photochemical compositions comprising: a solution comprising an organic solvent, preferably selected from dimethylformamide, acetonitrile, and mixtures thereof with water, a sacrificial electron donor; a proton donor having a pKa in acetonitrile greater than or equal to 28; a photosensitizer whose reduced state has a standard redox potential more negative than 1.45 V vs SCE; and a metal porphyrin complex of formula (I) as defined in claim 1,
useful in the production of CH.sub.4 from CO.sub.2 or CO by photochemical catalysis, to a photochemical cell comprising same and to a method for producing CH.sub.4 from CO.sub.2 or CO by photochemical catalysis using same.

The invention describes single-site metal catalysts such as Pt single-site centers on powdered oxide supports with a 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione (PDO) or bis-pyrimidyltetrazine (BMTZ) ligand on powdered MgO, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, or CeO.sub.2.

A process to produce a branched ethylene--olefin diene elastomer comprising combining a catalyst precursor and an activator with a feed comprising ethylene, C3 to C12 -olefins, and a dual-polymerizable diene to obtain a branched ethylene--olefin diene elastomer; where the catalyst precursor is selected from pyridyldiamide and quinolinyldiamido transition metal complexes. The branched ethylene--olefin diene elastomer may comprise within a range from 40 to 80 wt % of ethylene-derived units by weight of the branched ethylene--olefin diene elastomer, and 0.1 to 2 wt % of singly-polymerizable diene derived units, 0.1 to 2 wt % of singly-polymerizable diene derived units, and the remainder comprising C3 to C12 -olefin derived units, wherein the branched ethylene--olefin diene elastomer has a weight average molecular weight (M.sub.w) within a range from 100 kg/mole to 300 kg/mole, an average branching index (g.sub.avg) of 0.9 or more, and a branching index at very high M.sub.w (g.sub.1000) of less than 0.9.

A catalyst, a preparation method therefor, an electrode containing the catalyst, a membrane-electrode assembly, and a fuel cell are disclosed. The catalyst contains a support; metal particles supported by the support; and a coating layer located on the metal particles, and includes any one selected from the group consisting of phthalocyanine, M-phthalocyanine (wherein M is a transition metal) and a mixture thereof. The catalyst has improved durability since a coating layer is formed on the surface of a commercial catalyst or a conventional catalyst through a relatively easy method without separate treatment. A carbon coating layer formed by post-treating a catalyst including the coating layer further improves durability. Material transfer ability and performance are also improved by a carbon nanofiber or a carbon nanotube generated during post-treatment.

The present invention relates to a transition metal-based heterogeneous carbonylation reaction catalyst that has an excellent catalytic activity and selectivity in the carbonylation reaction and is easily separated from a product, by crosslinking polymerizing a transition metal-based homogeneous catalyst unit through a Friedel-Craft reaction; and a method for preparing lactone using the same. The transition metal-based heterogeneous carbonylation reaction catalyst allows to produce lactone or succinic anhydride with an epoxide compound while showing a high selectivity, and can be applied in industrial very usefully due to easy separation from the product and thus reusing thereof.

Systems and a method for manufacturing a base stock from a hydrocarbon stream are provided. An example method includes cracking the hydrocarbon stream to form a raw hydrocarbon stream, separating an ethylene stream from the raw hydrocarbon stream and oligomerizing the ethylene stream to form a raw oligomer stream. A light olefinic stream is distilled from the raw oligomer stream and linear alpha olefins are recovered from the light olefinic stream. A heavy olefinic stream is distilled from the raw oligomer stream. The heavy olefinic stream is hydro-processed to form a hydro-processed stream. The hydro-processed stream is distilled to form the base stock.

An oxidative homocoupling method of synthesizing certain 2,2-bithiophenes from thiophenes using oxygen as the terminal oxidant is disclosed. In non-limiting examples, the method uses oxygen along with a catalytic system that includes palladium, an assistive ligand, and a non-palladium metal additive to catalyze one of the following reactions: ##STR00001## Associated catalytic systems and compositions are also disclosed.

A composition of a photocatalyst, a method of manufacturing the photocatalyst, and a method of chemically reducing carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide using the photocatalyst under visible-light irradiation is provided. The photocatalyst comprises a transition metal ion and graphitic carbon nitride and includes single metal sites on carbon nitride. Under visible light, the metal sites that are coordinated to nitrogen atoms get activated, without the use of additional ligands, to catalyze the reduction of carbon dioxide to selectively produce carbon monoxide. The photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide is highly efficient, resulting a turnover number of more than 800 for carbon monoxide production in 2 hours. The composition is useful in converting carbon dioxide into useful chemicals and carbon-based fuels. A functional model of molecular catalysts for efficient carbon dioxide reduction is also present.

A process for preparing a ketone or carboxylic acid by catalytic oxidation of a secondary or primary alcohol comprises adding the secondary or primary alcohol as a raw material and N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) combined with phthalocyanine, serving as a catalytic system, into an amount of an organic solvent into which oxygen gas is then introduced, to proceed with an oxidation reaction to give the ketone or carboxylic acid. The oxygen gas is employed as the source of an oxidant. The oxidation reaction may be carried out under normal pressure at 60 to 120 C. for 9 to 36 hours. The process can produce a high yield of ketone or carboxylic acid. Compared with conventional technology, the process has several advantages, such as the green oxidant, the cheap catalyst which can also be easily prepared and separated, and mild reaction conditions, and it is also an environmentally friendly process for alcohol oxidation.

The present invention relates to a method of preparing ortho substituted phenols from 2,5-dimethylfuran and propargyl ethers in the presence of a gold(I) complex. It is particularly advantageous to use 2,5-dimethylfuran as this offers an ecological beneficial synthesis of said ortho substituted phenols.