Provided is a composition containing, as an alkane polyol, a C.sub.4-18 1,2-alkane polyol in which the degradation over time of the C.sub.4-18 1,2-alkane polyol, which has inferior chemical stability and degrades easily, is suppressed, the composition being suitable for use in a cosmetic, an inkjet ink, a fiber or a coating material such as a paint. A composition containing 1,2-alkane polyol that can be used in a cosmetic, an inkjet ink, a raw material for fibers or a coating material, the alkane polyol being a C.sub.4-18 1,2-alkane polyol, and the composition containing a radical scavenger.

Provided is a composition containing, as an alkane polyol, a C.sub.4-18 1,2-alkane polyol in which the degradation over time of the C.sub.4-18 1,2-alkane polyol, which has inferior chemical stability and degrades easily, is suppressed, the composition being suitable for use in a cosmetic, an inkjet ink, a fiber or a coating material such as a paint. A composition containing 1,2-alkane polyol that can be used in a cosmetic, an inkjet ink, a raw material for fibers or a coating material, the alkane polyol being a C.sub.4-18 1,2-alkane polyol, and the composition containing a radical scavenger.

A method of preparing high molecular weight poly(meth)acrylate polymers having narrow polydispersity indices (PDIs) by coupling poly(meth)acrylate building block units which themselves have narrow PDIs. The building block units have halogenated terminations, which when reacted with selected coupling agents, from the high molecular weight poly(meth)acrylate polymers.

A method of preparing high molecular weight poly(meth)acrylate polymers having narrow polydispersity indices (PDIs) by coupling poly(meth)acrylate building block units which themselves have narrow PDIs. The building block units have halogenated terminations, which when reacted with selected coupling agents, from the high molecular weight poly(meth)acrylate polymers.

Methods of forming a C.sub.4 to C.sub.7 diol compound, the methods including a first step of reacting a C.sub.4 to C.sub.7 dicarboxylic acid with hydrogen (H.sub.2) gas on a first heterogeneous catalyst at a first temperature and a first pressure to form a C.sub.4 to C.sub.7 lactone; and a subsequent step of reacting the lactone with hydrogen (H.sub.2) gas on a second heterogeneous catalyst at a second temperature and a second pressure, wherein the second temperature is lower than the first temperature. Also disclosed are methods of forming a solvent, the methods including reacting a C.sub.4 to C.sub.7 dicarboxylic acid with hydrogen (H.sub.2) gas on a first heterogeneous catalyst at a first temperature and a first pressure to form a solvent. Further disclosed herein are methods that include reacting mevalonolactone with hydrogen (H.sub.2) gas on a second heterogeneous catalyst at a second temperature and a second pressure to form a diol compound.

Methods of forming a C.sub.4 to C.sub.7 diol compound, the methods including a first step of reacting a C.sub.4 to C.sub.7 dicarboxylic acid with hydrogen (H.sub.2) gas on a first heterogeneous catalyst at a first temperature and a first pressure to form a C.sub.4 to C.sub.7 lactone; and a subsequent step of reacting the lactone with hydrogen (H.sub.2) gas on a second heterogeneous catalyst at a second temperature and a second pressure, wherein the second temperature is lower than the first temperature. Also disclosed are methods of forming a solvent, the methods including reacting a C.sub.4 to C.sub.7 dicarboxylic acid with hydrogen (H.sub.2) gas on a first heterogeneous catalyst at a first temperature and a first pressure to form a solvent. Further disclosed herein are methods that include reacting mevalonolactone with hydrogen (H.sub.2) gas on a second heterogeneous catalyst at a second temperature and a second pressure to form a diol compound.

The present invention relates to novel Ruthenium complexes of formulae A1-A4 and their use, inter alia, for (1) dehydrogenative coupling of alcohols to esters; (2) hydrogenation of esters to alcohols (including hydrogenation of cyclic esters (lactones) or cyclic di-esters (di-lactones), or polyesters); (3) preparing amides from alcohols and amines—(including the preparation of polyamides (e.g., polypeptides) by reacting dialcohols and diamines and/or polymerization of amino alcohols and/or forming cyclic dipeptides from p-aminoalcohols; (4) hydrogenation of amides (including cyclic dipeptides, polypeptides and polyamides) to alcohols and amines; (5) hydrogenation of organic carbonates (including polycarbonates) to alcohols or hydrogenation of carbamates (including polycarbamates) or urea derivatives to alcohols and amines; (6) dehydrogenation of secondary alcohols to ketones; (7) amidation of esters (i.e., synthesis of amides from esters and amines); (8) acylation of alcohols using esters; (9) coupling of alcohols with water and a base to form carboxylic acids; and (10) preparation of amino acids or their salts by coupling of amino alcohols with water and a base. The present, invention further relates to the use of certain known Ruthenium complexes for the preparation of amino acids or their salts from amino alcohols.

The present invention relates to novel Ruthenium complexes of formulae A1-A4 and their use, inter alia, for (1) dehydrogenative coupling of alcohols to esters; (2) hydrogenation of esters to alcohols (including hydrogenation of cyclic esters (lactones) or cyclic di-esters (di-lactones), or polyesters); (3) preparing amides from alcohols and amines—(including the preparation of polyamides (e.g., polypeptides) by reacting dialcohols and diamines and/or polymerization of amino alcohols and/or forming cyclic dipeptides from p-aminoalcohols; (4) hydrogenation of amides (including cyclic dipeptides, polypeptides and polyamides) to alcohols and amines; (5) hydrogenation of organic carbonates (including polycarbonates) to alcohols or hydrogenation of carbamates (including polycarbamates) or urea derivatives to alcohols and amines; (6) dehydrogenation of secondary alcohols to ketones; (7) amidation of esters (i.e., synthesis of amides from esters and amines); (8) acylation of alcohols using esters; (9) coupling of alcohols with water and a base to form carboxylic acids; and (10) preparation of amino acids or their salts by coupling of amino alcohols with water and a base. The present, invention further relates to the use of certain known Ruthenium complexes for the preparation of amino acids or their salts from amino alcohols.

The invention provides a process for the preparation of ethylene glycol and 1, 2-propylene glycol from starting material comprising one or more saccharides, wherein the process comprises the steps of i) providing the starting material and hydrogen to a first reactor, which first reactor operates with mixing; ii) reacting said starting material and hydrogen in the first reactor in the presence of solvent and a catalyst system; iii) continuously removing a first reactor product stream from the first reactor; iv) supplying at least a portion of the first reactor product stream to a second reactor, which reactor operates essentially in a plug flow manner; and v) further reacting the first reactor product stream with hydrogen in the presence of a solvent and optionally a catalyst system in the second reactor.

Methods, apparatus, and processes are provided for a condenser including flowing a vapor stream including formaldehyde into a tube bundle in a vertical upflow reflux condenser, where a tube in the tube bundle has a length to outside diameter ratio of greater than about 170:1, flowing a cooling fluid on a shell-side of the vertical upflow reflux condenser to condense at least a portion of the vapor stream, where the condensed portion of the vapor stream forms a wetted tube internal surface area on each tube in the generally upright tube bundle; and maintaining the vapor stream velocity at a rate that provides a liquid residence time where formaldehyde condensed on the wetted internal surface area of each tube can react with water to form methylene glycol, removing at least sixty percent (60%) of formaldehyde from the vapor stream fed to the condenser.