A novel agent for introducing a protecting group for a hydroxy group and/or a mercapto group that can be introduced and removed under mild conditions is provided. The agent for introducing a protecting group for a hydroxy group and/or mercapto group of a substrate compound having the hydroxy group and/or mercapto group is represented by the following formula (I), wherein A represents a ring structure having 1 to 5 rings in which two carbon atoms of an adjacent benzene ring are included, the ring structure comprises a substituted or unsubstituted five-membered ring or six-membered ring and optionally include a heterocycle; each of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, and R.sup.4 is independently a hydrogen atom or a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms; and X is a halogen atom or OSO.sub.2R.sup.5 (R.sup.5=an aryl group or an alkyl group).

A novel agent for introducing a protecting group for a hydroxy group and/or a mercapto group that can be introduced and removed under mild conditions is provided. The agent for introducing a protecting group for a hydroxy group and/or mercapto group of a substrate compound having the hydroxy group and/or mercapto group is represented by the following formula (I), wherein A represents a ring structure having 1 to 5 rings in which two carbon atoms of an adjacent benzene ring are included, the ring structure comprises a substituted or unsubstituted five-membered ring or six-membered ring and optionally include a heterocycle; each of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, and R.sup.4 is independently a hydrogen atom or a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms; and X is a halogen atom or OSO.sub.2R.sup.5 (R.sup.5=an aryl group or an alkyl group).

A long life catalyst is provided that is conveniently and inexpensively capable of being produced and that is highly active and has inhibited metal leakage. According to aspects of the present invention, a catalyst is provided that includes: a polymer including a plurality of first structural units and a plurality of second structural units; and metal acting as a catalytic center, wherein at least part of the metal is covered with the polymer, each of the plurality of first structural units has a first atom constituting a main chain of the polymer and a first substituent group bonded to the first atom, a second atom included in each of the plurality of second structural units is bonded to the first atom, and the second atom is different from the first atom, or at least one of all substituent groups on the second atom is different from the first substituent group.

A long life catalyst is provided that is conveniently and inexpensively capable of being produced and that is highly active and has inhibited metal leakage. According to aspects of the present invention, a catalyst is provided that includes: a polymer including a plurality of first structural units and a plurality of second structural units; and metal acting as a catalytic center, wherein at least part of the metal is covered with the polymer, each of the plurality of first structural units has a first atom constituting a main chain of the polymer and a first substituent group bonded to the first atom, a second atom included in each of the plurality of second structural units is bonded to the first atom, and the second atom is different from the first atom, or at least one of all substituent groups on the second atom is different from the first substituent group.

A solid-supported catalyst ligand which chelates palladium (II) species to form a complex that functions as a heterogeneous catalyst that is stable and can be recycled without significantly losing any catalytic activity in a variety of chemical transformations, a method for producing the solid-supported catalyst ligand and a method for catalyzing a palladium cross-coupling reaction, such as the Suzuki-Miyaura, Mizoroki-Heck, and Sonagashira reactions.

A solid-supported catalyst ligand which chelates palladium (II) species to form a complex that functions as a heterogeneous catalyst that is stable and can be recycled without significantly losing any catalytic activity in a variety of chemical transformations, a method for producing the solid-supported catalyst ligand and a method for catalyzing a palladium cross-coupling reaction, such as the Suzuki-Miyaura, Mizoroki-Heck, and Sonagashira reactions.

This invention relates to process for producing biphenyl esters, the process comprising: (a) contacting a feed comprising toluene, xylene or mixtures thereof with hydrogen in the presence of a hydroalkylation catalyst to produce a hydroalkylation reaction product comprising (methylcyclohexyl)toluene, wherein the hydroalkylation catalyst comprises: 1) binder present at 40 wt % or less (based upon weight of final catalyst composition), 2) a hydrogenation component present at 0.2 wt % or less (based upon weight of final catalyst composition), and 3) an acidic component comprising a molecular sieve having a twelve membered (or larger) ring pore opening, channel or pocket and a largest pore dimension of 6.0 angstroms or more present at 60 wt % or more, (based upon weight of final catalyst composition); (b) dehydrogenating the hydroalkylation reaction product using a dehydrogenation catalyst to produce a dehydrogenation reaction product comprising a mixture of methyl-substituted biphenyl compounds; (c) contacting at the dehydrogenation reaction product with an oxidizing gas to convert the methyl-substituted biphenyl compounds to biphenyl carboxylic acids; and (d) reacting the biphenyl carboxylic acids with one or more C.sub.1 to C.sub.14 alcohols to produce biphenyl esters.

This invention relates to process for producing biphenyl esters, the process comprising: (a) contacting a feed comprising toluene, xylene or mixtures thereof with hydrogen in the presence of a hydroalkylation catalyst to produce a hydroalkylation reaction product comprising (methylcyclohexyl)toluene, wherein the hydroalkylation catalyst comprises: 1) binder present at 40 wt % or less (based upon weight of final catalyst composition), 2) a hydrogenation component present at 0.2 wt % or less (based upon weight of final catalyst composition), and 3) an acidic component comprising a molecular sieve having a twelve membered (or larger) ring pore opening, channel or pocket and a largest pore dimension of 6.0 angstroms or more present at 60 wt % or more, (based upon weight of final catalyst composition); (b) dehydrogenating the hydroalkylation reaction product using a dehydrogenation catalyst to produce a dehydrogenation reaction product comprising a mixture of methyl-substituted biphenyl compounds; (c) contacting at the dehydrogenation reaction product with an oxidizing gas to convert the methyl-substituted biphenyl compounds to biphenyl carboxylic acids; and (d) reacting the biphenyl carboxylic acids with one or more C.sub.1 to C.sub.14 alcohols to produce biphenyl esters.

Disclosed is a cross-coupling reaction method which forms a chemical bond selected from C—N, C—B, C—C, C—O and C—S bonds, the method comprising: preparing an aromatic compound (1) having a leaving group; preparing a compound (2) capable of undergoing a cross-coupling reaction selected from an aromatic amino compound (2-1), a diboronic acid ester or the like (2-2), an aromatic boronic acid or the like (2-3), an aromatic compound (2-4) having a hydroxyl group and an aromatic compound (2-5) having a thiol group; and performing a cross-coupling reaction of the compound (1) with the compound (2) in the presence of a palladium catalyst, a base and a compound (4) having a carbon-carbon double bond or a carbon-carbon triple bond, in the absence of a solvent.

Disclosed is a cross-coupling reaction method which forms a chemical bond selected from C—N, C—B, C—C, C—O and C—S bonds, the method comprising: preparing an aromatic compound (1) having a leaving group; preparing a compound (2) capable of undergoing a cross-coupling reaction selected from an aromatic amino compound (2-1), a diboronic acid ester or the like (2-2), an aromatic boronic acid or the like (2-3), an aromatic compound (2-4) having a hydroxyl group and an aromatic compound (2-5) having a thiol group; and performing a cross-coupling reaction of the compound (1) with the compound (2) in the presence of a palladium catalyst, a base and a compound (4) having a carbon-carbon double bond or a carbon-carbon triple bond, in the absence of a solvent.