A carbon-coated transition metal nanocomposite material includes carbon-coated transition metal particles having a core-shell structure. The shell layer of the core-shell structure is a graphitized carbon layer doped with oxygen and/or nitrogen, and the core of the core-shell structure is a transition metal nanoparticle. The nanocomposite material has a structure rich in mesopores, is an adsorption/catalyst material with excellent performance, can be used for catalyzing various hydrogenation reduction reactions, or used as a catalytic-oxidation catalyst useful for the treatment of volatile organic compounds in industrial exhaust gases.

Provided herein is a novel process for producing shaped catalyst bodies in which a mixture having aluminum contents of Al.sup.±.sup.0 in the range from 80 to 99.8% by weight, based on the mixture used, is used to form a specific intermetallic phase, shaped catalyst bodies obtainable by the process of the invention, a process for producing an active catalyst fixed bed including the shaped catalyst bodies provided herein, the active catalyst fixed beds and also the use of these active catalyst fixed beds for the hydrogenation of organic hydrogenatable compounds or for formate degradation.

The invention provides a process for the separation of a diol from a product stream. The process includes the steps of: i) separating the product stream comprising three or more C2 to C6 diols, C3 to C6 sugar alcohols, and C4 to C6 polyhydric alcohols with at least 3 hydroxyl groups in the molecule, and a catalyst, to produce a first stream comprising the three or more C2 to C6 diols; ii) separating the first stream comprising the three or more C2 to C6 diols into a) a second stream comprising a first diol and unsaturated hydrocarbons and/or one or more compounds with a carbonyl group and b) a third stream comprising two or more diols; iii) hydrogenating the second stream comprising a first diol and unsaturated hydrocarbons and/or one or more compounds with a carbonyl group to provide a purified diol stream.

A heterogeneous catalyst for substrate-directed hydrogenation includes bimetallic nanoparticles of M.sub.1-M.sub.2, wherein M.sub.1 is a noble metal and M.sub.2 is a first-row transition metal. The bimetallic nanoparticles are on a substrate and atoms of both the noble metal and the first-row transition metal are distributed across surfaces of the bimetallic nanoparticles. The heterogeneous catalyst may be produced by providing M.sub.1-M.sub.2 bimetallic nanoparticles on a substrate to produce an intermediate composition, and performing a reduction process on the intermediate composition such that atoms of both the noble metal (M.sub.1) and the first-row transition metal (M.sub.2) are distributed across surfaces of the bimetallic nanoparticles and thereby form the heterogeneous catalyst. The catalyst may be used for performing directed hydrogenation of a substrate.

Methods for utilizing carbon dioxide to produce multi-carbon products are disclosed. The systems and methods of the present disclosure involve: reducing CO.sub.2 to produce a first product mixture comprising an alcohol product mixture comprising one or more alcohols and a paraffin product mixture comprising one or more paraffins; dehydrating the alcohol product mixture to form an olefin product mixture comprising one or more olefins; oligomerizing the olefin product mixture to form a higher olefin product mixture comprising unsaturated paraffins and optionally aromatics; and reducing the higher olefin product mixture to form a higher hydrocarbon product mixture comprising unsaturated paraffins and optionally aromatics. Catalyst materials and reaction conditions for individual steps are disclosed to optimize yield for ethanol or jet fuel range hydrocarbons.

A method for preparing 1,2-propanediol involves reacting propene with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a catalyst mixture, containing a phase transfer catalyst and a heteropolytungstate, in a liquid reaction mixture containing an aqueous phase with a maximum apparent pH of 6 and an organic phase. The method then involves separating the reaction mixture into an aqueous phase (P.sub.a), containing 1,2-propanediol and phosphoric acid esters of 1,2-propanediol, and an organic phase (P.sub.o). The method further involves recycling at least part of the separated organic phase (P.sub.o) to the reaction; heating at least a part of the separated aqueous phase (P.sub.a) to a temperature of more than 140° C. at a pressure sufficient to maintain at least part of the aqueous phase as a liquid; and recovering 1,2-propanediol from the heated aqueous phase. The heating cleaves phosphoric acid esters of 1,2-propanediol into 1,2-propanediol and phosphoric acid.

The present invention discloses an inventive method for manufacturing a catalyst using alloy granules having a high-Ni content. The inventive method may include providing alloy granules comprising aluminum and nickel, and treating the alloy granules with an alkaline solution to form the catalyst. A content of the nickel in the alloy granules may be within a range of about 43 wt % to about 60 wt %. The alloy granules may have effective diameters within a range of about 1 mm to about 10 mm. The catalyst may have an attrition value of less than about 7.0%.

The present invention discloses an inventive method for manufacturing a catalyst using alloy granules having a high-Ni content. The inventive method may include providing alloy granules comprising aluminum and nickel, and treating the alloy granules with an alkaline solution to form the catalyst. A content of the nickel in the alloy granules may be within a range of about 43 wt % to about 60 wt %. The alloy granules may have effective diameters within a range of about 1 mm to about 10 mm. The catalyst may have an attrition value of less than about 7.0%.

The present invention discloses an inventive method for manufacturing a catalyst using alloy granules having a high-Ni content. The inventive method may include providing alloy granules comprising aluminum and nickel, and treating the alloy granules with an alkaline solution to form the catalyst. A content of the nickel in the alloy granules may be within a range of about 43 wt % to about 60 wt %. The alloy granules may have effective diameters within a range of about 1 mm to about 10 mm. The catalyst may have an attrition value of less than about 7.0%.

The present invention discloses an inventive method for manufacturing a catalyst using alloy granules having a high-Ni content. The inventive method may include providing alloy granules comprising aluminum and nickel, and treating the alloy granules with an alkaline solution to form the catalyst. A content of the nickel in the alloy granules may be within a range of about 43 wt % to about 60 wt %. The alloy granules may have effective diameters within a range of about 1 mm to about 10 mm. The catalyst may have an attrition value of less than about 7.0%.