This disclosure provides for routes of synthesis of acrylic acid and other α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids and their salts, including catalytic methods. For example, there is provided a process for producing an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid or a salt thereof, the process comprising: (1) contacting in any order, a group 8-11 transition metal precursor, an olefin, carbon dioxide, a diluent, and a metal-treated chemically-modified solid oxide such as a sulfur oxoacid anion-modified solid oxide, a phosphorus oxoacid anion-modified solid oxide, or a halide ion-modified solid oxide, to provide a reaction mixture; and (2) applying reaction conditions to the reaction mixture suitable to produce the α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid or the salt thereof. Methods of regenerating the metal-treated chemically-modified solid oxide are described.

This disclosure provides for routes of synthesis of acrylic acid and other α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids and their salts, including catalytic methods. For example, there is provided a process for producing an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid or a salt thereof, the process comprising: (1) contacting in any order, a group 8-11 transition metal precursor, an olefin, carbon dioxide, a diluent, and a metal-treated chemically-modified solid oxide such as a sulfur oxoacid anion-modified solid oxide, a phosphorus oxoacid anion-modified solid oxide, or a halide ion-modified solid oxide, to provide a reaction mixture; and (2) applying reaction conditions to the reaction mixture suitable to produce the α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid or the salt thereof. Methods of regenerating the metal-treated chemically-modified solid oxide are described.

This disclosure provides for routes of synthesis of acrylic acid and other α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids and their salts, including catalytic methods. For example, there is provided a process for producing an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid or a salt thereof, the process comprising: (1) contacting in any order, a group 8-11 transition metal precursor, an olefin, carbon dioxide, a diluent, and a metal-treated chemically-modified solid oxide such as a sulfur oxoacid anion-modified solid oxide, a phosphorus oxoacid anion-modified solid oxide, or a halide ion-modified solid oxide, to provide a reaction mixture; and (2) applying reaction conditions to the reaction mixture suitable to produce the α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid or the salt thereof. Methods of regenerating the metal-treated chemically-modified solid oxide are described.

This disclosure provides for processes to form a porous crosslinked polyphenoxide resin, using a templating process which can increase the porosity, pore size, active sites, and the like of the resin, as compared with a non-templated crosslinked polyphenoxide resin. The process includes contacting a phenol or polyphenol compound with formaldehyde and an aqueous base in the presence of a basic particulate template to form a templated crosslinked polyphenol resin. The templated crosslinked polyphenol resin can then be contacted with an aqueous acid to remove the basic particulate template and form a porous crosslinked polyphenol resin. This porous crosslinked polyphenol resin can subsequently be contacted with a metal-containing base to form a promoter for acrylate and acrylic acid formation from CO.sub.2 and ethylene coupling.

This disclosure provides for processes to form a porous crosslinked polyphenoxide resin, using a templating process which can increase the porosity, pore size, active sites, and the like of the resin, as compared with a non-templated crosslinked polyphenoxide resin. The process includes contacting a phenol or polyphenol compound with formaldehyde and an aqueous base in the presence of a basic particulate template to form a templated crosslinked polyphenol resin. The templated crosslinked polyphenol resin can then be contacted with an aqueous acid to remove the basic particulate template and form a porous crosslinked polyphenol resin. This porous crosslinked polyphenol resin can subsequently be contacted with a metal-containing base to form a promoter for acrylate and acrylic acid formation from CO.sub.2 and ethylene coupling.

This disclosure provides for processes to form a porous crosslinked polyphenoxide resin, using a templating process which can increase the porosity, pore size, active sites, and the like of the resin, as compared with a non-templated crosslinked polyphenoxide resin. The process includes contacting a phenol or polyphenol compound with formaldehyde and an aqueous base in the presence of a basic particulate template to form a templated crosslinked polyphenol resin. The templated crosslinked polyphenol resin can then be contacted with an aqueous acid to remove the basic particulate template and form a porous crosslinked polyphenol resin. This porous crosslinked polyphenol resin can subsequently be contacted with a metal-containing base to form a promoter for acrylate and acrylic acid formation from CO.sub.2 and ethylene coupling.

The invention relates to a method for producing a formate, the method including reacting hydrogen with carbon dioxide, a hydrogen carbonate or a carbonate using a catalyst in the presence of a solvent, wherein the reaction is a two-phase system in which an organic solvent and an aqueous solvent are present in a separated state in the solvent, and the catalyst is at least one selected from a ruthenium complex represented by the formula (1) in the specification, a tautomer or stereoisomer thereof, and a salt compound of the complex, tautomer or stereoisomer.

The invention relates to a method for producing a formate, the method including reacting hydrogen with carbon dioxide, a hydrogen carbonate or a carbonate using a catalyst in the presence of a solvent, wherein the reaction is a two-phase system in which an organic solvent and an aqueous solvent are present in a separated state in the solvent, and the catalyst is at least one selected from a ruthenium complex represented by the formula (1) in the specification, a tautomer or stereoisomer thereof, and a salt compound of the complex, tautomer or stereoisomer.

An electrode of a chemical cell includes a substrate having a surface, an array of conductive projections supported by the substrate and extending outward from the surface of the substrate, each conductive projection of the array of conductive projections having a semiconductor composition for catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) in the chemical cell, and a plurality of nanoparticles disposed over the array of nanowires, each nanoparticle of the plurality of nanoparticles having a metallic composition for the catalytic conversion of CO.sub.2 in the chemical cell. Each nanoparticle of the plurality of nanoparticles has a size at least an order of magnitude smaller than a lateral dimension of each conductive projection of the array of conductive projections.

An electrode of a chemical cell includes a substrate having a surface, an array of conductive projections supported by the substrate and extending outward from the surface of the substrate, each conductive projection of the array of conductive projections having a semiconductor composition for catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) in the chemical cell, and a plurality of nanoparticles disposed over the array of nanowires, each nanoparticle of the plurality of nanoparticles having a metallic composition for the catalytic conversion of CO.sub.2 in the chemical cell. Each nanoparticle of the plurality of nanoparticles has a size at least an order of magnitude smaller than a lateral dimension of each conductive projection of the array of conductive projections.