A catalyst includes a carrier, and a metal obtained by reducing a metal ion supported on the carrier 1) in a supercritical state or 2) in a polar organic solvent, wherein the carrier is an inorganic porous body having a hierarchical porous structure. By employing the catalyst, it is possible to exhibit better catalytic activity than a conventional catalyst. Heat generation and spontaneous ignition are prevented because no organic porous body is used.

A composition comprising an ethylene-based polymer is made by a process comprising the steps of: (A) contacting under first polymerization conditions at least ethylene and at least one molecular catalyst to form a first ethylene-based polymer, and (B) contacting under second polymerization conditions the first ethylene-based polymer of (A) with at least additional ethylene and a carbon-carbon free radical initiator of Structure (I): wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 are each, independently, hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl group and wherein, optionally, two or more R groups (R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5 and R.sub.6) form a ring structure, with the proviso that at least one of R.sub.2 and R.sub.5, and at least one of R.sub.3 and R.sub.6 is a hydrocarbyl group of at least two carbon atoms, to form the composition.

A composition comprising an ethylene-based polymer is made by a process comprising the steps of: (A) contacting under first polymerization conditions at least ethylene and at least one molecular catalyst to form a first ethylene-based polymer, and (B) contacting under second polymerization conditions the first ethylene-based polymer of (A) with at least additional ethylene and a carbon-carbon free radical initiator of Structure (I): wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 are each, independently, hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl group and wherein, optionally, two or more R groups (R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5 and R.sub.6) form a ring structure, with the proviso that at least one of R.sub.2 and R.sub.5, and at least one of R.sub.3 and R.sub.6 is a hydrocarbyl group of at least two carbon atoms, to form the composition.

The present invention is a liquid crystal composition having negative dielectric anisotropy containing one or two or more of compounds represented by General Formula (i), and is also a liquid crystal display element using the liquid crystal composition. The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal composition with a large refractive index anisotropy (n), a low rotational viscosity (.sub.1), a large elastic constant (K.sub.33), a high voltage holding ratio (VHR), and which has a negative dielectric anisotropy (), and a liquid crystal display element which, when using the liquid crystal composition, has a high response speed with excellent display quality in which display defects such as drop marks, burn-in, and display unevenness are absent or suppressed.

The present invention is a liquid crystal composition having negative dielectric anisotropy containing one or two or more of compounds represented by General Formula (i), and is also a liquid crystal display element using the liquid crystal composition. The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal composition with a large refractive index anisotropy (n), a low rotational viscosity (.sub.1), a large elastic constant (K.sub.33), a high voltage holding ratio (VHR), and which has a negative dielectric anisotropy (), and a liquid crystal display element which, when using the liquid crystal composition, has a high response speed with excellent display quality in which display defects such as drop marks, burn-in, and display unevenness are absent or suppressed.

A porous carbon material, wherein a half width (2?) of a diffraction peak (10?) (38? to 49?) by X-ray diffraction is 4.2? or less, and wherein a ratio (mesopore volume/micropore volume) of a mesopore volume (cm.sup.3/g) measured by a BJH method to a micropore volume (cm.sup.3/g) measured by a HK method is 1.20 or more.

A porous carbon material, wherein a half width (2?) of a diffraction peak (10?) (38? to 49?) by X-ray diffraction is 4.2? or less, and wherein a ratio (mesopore volume/micropore volume) of a mesopore volume (cm.sup.3/g) measured by a BJH method to a micropore volume (cm.sup.3/g) measured by a HK method is 1.20 or more.

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 Pd catalyst is suitable for CC bond formation, e.g., via Suzuki-Miyaura and Mizoroki-Heck cross-coupling reactions, with a support that is reusable, cost-efficient, regioselective, and naturally available. Such catalysts may contain Pd nanoparticles on jute plant sticks (GS), i.e., Pd@GS, and may be formed by reducing, e.g., K.sub.2PdCl.sub.4 with NaBH.sub.4 in water, and then used this as a dip catalyst. The dip catalyst can catalyze Suzuki-Miyaura and Mizoroki-Heck cross coupling-reactions in water. The catalysts may have a homogeneous distribution of Pd nanoparticles with average dimensions, e.g., within a range of 7 to 10 nm on the solid support. Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions may achieve conversions of, e.g., 97% with TOFs around 4692 h.sup.?1, Mizoroki-Heck reactions with conversions of, e.g., a 98% and TOFs of 237 h.sup.?1, while the same catalyst sample may be used for 7 consecutive cycles, i.e., without addition of any fresh catalyst.