A novel metal organic framework, EMM-39, is described having the structure of UiO-66 and comprising bisphosphonate linking ligands. EMM-39 has acid activity and is useful as a catalyst in olefin isomerization. Also disclosed is a process of making metal organic frameworks, such as EMM-39, by heterogeneous ligand exchange, in which linking ligands having a first bonding functionality in a host metal organic framework are exchanged with linking ligands having a second different bonding functionality in the framework.

A novel metal organic framework, EMM-42, is described having the structure of UiO-66 and comprising bisphosphonate linking ligands. EMM-42 has acid activity and is useful as a catalyst in olefin isomerization. Also disclosed is a process of making metal organic frameworks, such as EMM-42, by heterogeneous ligand exchange, in which linking ligands having a first bonding functionality in a host metal organic framework are exchanged with linking ligands having a second different bonding functionality in the framework.

Methods to synthesize fuels and chemicals from natural gas liquids are described. Higher alcohols are synthesized starting from natural gas liquid compounds by converting an alkane from a NGL to an olefin, dimerizing said olefin, and, hydrating said olefin product to form a higher alcohol. Higher alcohols are synthesized starting from natural gas liquid compounds by converting an alkane from a NGL to an olefin, oxidizing the olefin to form a ketone or aldehyde and, hydrogenating the aldehyde or ketone product to form a higher alcohol. Thus, NGL component butane may be dehydrogenated to form butane, butylene is oxidized in the presence of a catalyst to form methylethyl ketone and methylethyl ketone hydrogenated to form butanol.

A neutral or cationic mononuclear ruthenium divalent complex represented by formula (1) can actualize exceptional catalytic activity in at least one reaction among a hydrosilylation reaction, hydrogenation reaction, and carbonyl compound reduction reaction. ##STR00001##
(In the formula, R.sup.1-R.sup.6 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, aryl group, aralkyl group, organooxy group, monoorganoamino group, diorganoamino group, monoorganophosphino group, diorganophosphino group, monoorganosilyl group, diorganosilyl group, triorganosilyl group, or organothio group optionally substituted by X; at least one pair comprising any of R.sup.1-R.sup.3 and any of R.sup.4-R.sup.6 together represents a crosslinkable substituent; X represents a halogen atom, organooxy group, monoorganoamino group, diorganoamino group, or organothio group; L each independently represent a two-electron ligand other than CO and thiourea ligands; two L may bond to each other; and m represents an integer of 3 or 4.)

Platinum complexes having ferrocene ligands for the catalysis of the alkoxycarbonylation of ethylenically unsaturated compounds.

Catalyst compositions containing an organoaluminum compound, a hydrocarbon diluent, and a heteroatomic ligand transition metal compound complex or a heteroatomic ligand and a transition metal compound are disclosed. The transition metal is iron, cobalt, or nickel. Related ethylene oligomerization processes utilizing the catalyst compositions to produce oligomer products containing 1-hexene and 1-octene also are described.

The present invention concerns a process for converting biomass into useful organic building blocks for the chemical industry. The process involves the use of molybdenum catalysts of the formula A.sup.a+a(Mo.sub.vX.sub.xR.sup.1.sub.yR.sup.2.sub.zR.sup.3e).sup.a*3, which may be readily prepared from industrial molybdenum compounds.

A neutral or cationic mononuclear ruthenium divalent complex represented by formula (1) can actualize exceptional catalytic activity in at least one reaction among a hydrosilylation reaction, hydrogenation reaction, and carbonyl compound reduction reaction.

##STR00001##

(In the formula, R.sup.1-R.sup.6 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, aryl group, aralkyl group, organooxy group, monoorganoamino group, diorganoamino group, monoorganophosphino group, diorganophosphino group, monoorganosilyl group, diorganosilyl group, triorganosilyl group, or organothio group optionally substituted by X; at least one pair comprising any of R.sup.1-R.sup.3 and any of R.sup.4-R.sup.6 together represents a crosslinkable substituent; X represents a halogen atom, organooxy group, monoorganoamino group, diorganoamino group, or organothio group; L each independently represent a two-electron ligand other than CO and thiourea ligands; two L may bond to each other; and m represents an integer of 3 or 4.)

Processes of preparing freeze-dried co-catalyst compositions are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the process includes mixing an organoaluminum compound with a modifier at low temperature to provide a modified co-catalyst composition. The process further includes further cooling the modified co-catalyst composition under reduced pressure, to provide a freeze-dried co-catalyst composition. Processes of preparing freeze-dried catalyst compositions, processes of preparing catalyst compositions, freeze-dried co-catalyst compositions, freeze-dried catalyst compositions, catalyst compositions, and processes of preparing -olefins are also provided.