The subject invention provides synthetic compounds, and compound complexes having catalytic activities towards oxidation or oxygenation, and/or dehydrogenation of various substrates comprising C—H bonds. The catalysts of the subject invention comprise a dinuclear Cu(I)/Cu(II) center that can convert between a resting state and a reactive species. The subject invention also provides methods of using such catalysts for the oxidation of substrates comprising C—H bonds, e.g., hydrocarbons, to synthesize chemicals for use as pharmaceuticals and industrial feedstock.

The subject invention provides synthetic compounds, and compound complexes having catalytic activities towards oxidation or oxygenation, and/or dehydrogenation of various substrates comprising C—H bonds. The catalysts of the subject invention comprise a dinuclear Cu(I)/Cu(II) center that can convert between a resting state and a reactive species. The subject invention also provides methods of using such catalysts for the oxidation of substrates comprising C—H bonds, e.g., hydrocarbons, to synthesize chemicals for use as pharmaceuticals and industrial feedstock.

The present invention concerns a method of oxidizing a cycloalkane to form a product mixture containing a corresponding alcohol and ketone, said method comprising contacting a cycloalkane with a hydroperoxide compound in the presence of a catalytic effective amount of a cerium oxide based catalyst.

The present invention concerns a method of oxidizing a cycloalkane to form a product mixture containing a corresponding alcohol and ketone, said method comprising contacting a cycloalkane with a hydroperoxide compound in the presence of a catalytic effective amount of a cerium oxide based catalyst.

Provided is a method for producing, from a carboxylic acid ester, a corresponding ether. In the method, the reaction product and catalyst can be easily separated, and a large amount of salt waste or hazardous waste is not discharged. The method for producing an ether includes reducing a carboxylic acid ester with molecular hydrogen in the presence of the following Catalyst and producing the corresponding ether, in which the —C(═O)O— group of the carboxylic acid ester has been converted to a —CH.sub.2O— group: Catalyst: a catalyst in which the following M.sup.1 and M.sup.2 are supported as metal species on the following Support. M.sup.1: platinum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, or iridium. M.sup.2: molybdenum, rhenium, tungsten, or vanadium. Support: zirconium oxide, titanium oxide, cerium oxide, or hydroxyapatite.

Provided is a method for producing, from a carboxylic acid ester, a corresponding ether. In the method, the reaction product and catalyst can be easily separated, and a large amount of salt waste or hazardous waste is not discharged. The method for producing an ether includes reducing a carboxylic acid ester with molecular hydrogen in the presence of the following Catalyst and producing the corresponding ether, in which the —C(═O)O— group of the carboxylic acid ester has been converted to a —CH.sub.2O— group: Catalyst: a catalyst in which the following M.sup.1 and M.sup.2 are supported as metal species on the following Support. M.sup.1: platinum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, or iridium. M.sup.2: molybdenum, rhenium, tungsten, or vanadium. Support: zirconium oxide, titanium oxide, cerium oxide, or hydroxyapatite.

A metal organic framework comprising zinc (II) ions and second metal ions, such as iron (II) ions, cobalt (II) ions, and copper (II) ions as nodes or clusters and coordinated 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid struts or linkers between them forming a porous coordination network in the form of polyhedral crystals that are isostructural to HKUST-1. Transmetallation processes for producing the metal organic frameworks, as well as methods for applications of the metal organic frameworks as catalysts, specifically catalysts for the oxidation of cyclic hydrocarbons, such as toluene, cyclohexane, and methylcyclohexane.

A metal organic framework comprising zinc (II) ions and second metal ions, such as iron (II) ions, cobalt (II) ions, and copper (II) ions as nodes or clusters and coordinated 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid struts or linkers between them forming a porous coordination network in the form of polyhedral crystals that are isostructural to HKUST-1. Transmetallation processes for producing the metal organic frameworks, as well as methods for applications of the metal organic frameworks as catalysts, specifically catalysts for the oxidation of cyclic hydrocarbons, such as toluene, cyclohexane, and methylcyclohexane.

This invention provides producing having an objective ketone and/or alcohol by decomposing of a hydrocarbon compound rapidly and selectively having a same number of carbon atoms as a hydrocarbon compound by decomposing a hydroperoxide in a reaction solution obtained from oxidizing the hydrocarbon compound using molecular oxygen of this invention involves, a hydroperoxide decomposition step for decomposing the hydroperoxide into the ketone and/or alcohol by contacting the reaction solution with an aqueous solution containing a carbonate of an alkaline earth metal or a carbonate of an alkali metal and a transition metal compound, a separation step for separating into an oil phase comprising the ketone and/or alcohol, and a water phase comprising the carbonate of an alkaline earth metal or carbonate of an alkali metal and the transition metal compound, a recovery step for recovering the carbonate of an alkali metal or carbonate of an alkaline earth metal and the transition metal compound by combusting the water phase, and a recycling step for recycling to the hydroperoxide decomposition step by dissolving at least the carbonate of the alkali metal or the carbonate of the alkaline earth metal among the recovered substances obtained from the recovery step in water.

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.