The metal-catalyzed alkoxycarbonylation of a lactone is a method of alkoxycarbonylating a -lactone, specifically 3-ethylidene-6-vinyltetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-one. The method includes combining the -lactone with an alcohol in an organic solvent in the presence of a catalyst system that includes palladium or a salt thereof to form a reaction mixture, which is heated to 110-130 C. at a pressure of 20-50 bar for between 3-5 hours under flow of carbon monoxide gas. The product of the reaction is a substituted 2-octendioate diester. The alcohol may be methyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol, 2-ethylhexanol, isobutyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, or phenol. The solvent may be toluene, acetonitrile, or tetrahydrofuran. The method may include adding an acid to the reaction mixture, which may be dilute (about 5 mol %) sulfuric or p-toluenesulfonic acid. The catalyst system may also include a phosphine ligand.

The invention relates to oligomerization of olefins, such as ethylene, to higher olefins, such as a mixture of 1-hexene and 1-octene, using a catalyst system that comprises a) a source of chromium b) one or more activators and c) a phosphacycle-containing ligating compound. Additionally, the invention relates to a phosphacycle-containing ligating compound and a process for making said compound.

Process for preparing an acetal from an olefin using an iodine-alkyl compound.

The invention relates to oligomerization of olefins, such as ethylene, to higher olefins, such as a mixture of 1-hexene and 1-octene, using a catalyst system that comprises a) a source of chromium b) one or more activators and c) a phosphacycle-containing ligating compound. Additionally, the invention relates to a phosphacycle-containing ligating compound and a process for making said compound.

This invention is based on the discovery that homogeneous catalysts, [Rh(C.sub.2H.sub.4).sub.2Cl].sub.2 and/or [Rh(COD).sub.2][BF.sub.4], can be used to produce spinetoram in higher yields at lower catalyst loadings as compared to previous methodologies. In addition, one or more phosphorus ligand donors can also be added to further increase yields/efficiency. The methods and/or systems provided herein enable cost-effective ways to produce spinetoram in large quantity with relatively simple procedures.

The present invention is intended to provide a method for efficiently producing and providing a compound having a spirooxindole skeleton, for example, a compound having a spirooxindole skeleton and having antitumor activity that inhibits the interaction between Mdm2 protein and p53 protein, or an intermediate thereof, using an asymmetric catalyst. A compound having an optically active tricyclic dispiroindole skeleton is efficiently obtained through a catalytic asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction using ketimine as a reaction substrate and using a chiral ligand and a Lewis acid.

An aryl phosphine with fused ring ortho-alkoxy substitution that includes an aryl monophosphine and an aryl bi-sphosphme.

An in-situ method for making a conjugated diene from an allyl alcohol comprising the conversion of the allyl alcohol to an allyl carbonate, allyl ester or allyl formate with concomitant or subsequent conversion of the allyl carbonate, allyl ester or allyl formate to the conjugated diene; the products obtained by said method, and the uses of said products.

The present invention relates to air stable, binary Ni(0)-olefin complexes and their use in organic synthesis.