Processes for converting a hydrocarbon reactant into an alcohol compound and/or a carbonyl compound are disclosed in which the hydrocarbon reactant and either a supported chromium (VI) catalyst or a supported chromium (II) catalyst are contacted, optionally with UV-visible light irradiation, followed by exposure to an oxidizing atmosphere and then hydrolysis to form a reaction product containing the alcohol compound and/or the carbonyl compound. The presence of oxygen significant increases the amount of alcohol/carbonyl product formed, as well as the formation of oxygenated dimers and trimers of certain hydrocarbon reactants.

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 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 the cycloalkane with a hydroperoxide compound in the presence of a heterogenous catalyst comprising gold.

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 the cycloalkane with a hydroperoxide compound in the presence of a heterogenous catalyst comprising gold.

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 the cycloalkane with a hydroperoxide compound in the presence of a heterogenous catalyst comprising gold.

A process for making sorbic acid from renewable materials is provided. The process comprises converting acetic acid to ketene; converting acetaldehyde to crotonaldehyde; reacting the ketene with the crotonaldehyde to produce a polyester; and converting the polyester to sorbic acid. Renewable materials are incorporated by one of the following methods: a) the acetic acid is produced by reacting methanol derived from renewable organic material with carbon monoxide, b) the acetic acid is a biobased acetic acid, c) the crotonaldehyde is a biobased crotonaldehyde, d) the crotonaldehyde is produced by converting a biobased acetaldehyde to crotonaldehyde, e) the crotonaldehyde is produced by converting acetaldehyde to crotonaldehyde and the acetaldehyde is produced from bioethylene, or any combination of a), b), c), d) and e).

A process for making sorbic acid from renewable materials is provided. The process comprises converting acetic acid to ketene; converting acetaldehyde to crotonaldehyde; reacting the ketene with the crotonaldehyde to produce a polyester; and converting the polyester to sorbic acid. Renewable materials are incorporated by one of the following methods: a) the acetic acid is produced by reacting methanol derived from renewable organic material with carbon monoxide, b) the acetic acid is a biobased acetic acid, c) the crotonaldehyde is a biobased crotonaldehyde, d) the crotonaldehyde is produced by converting a biobased acetaldehyde to crotonaldehyde, e) the crotonaldehyde is produced by converting acetaldehyde to crotonaldehyde and the acetaldehyde is produced from bioethylene, or any combination of a), b), c), d) and e).

The present invention relates to a novel method for photocatalytic oxidation of allylic C—H bonds present in alkenes containing at least three carbon atoms. In this newly disclosed method, such alkenes, when reacted with carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) in an organic solvent containing a catalyst comprising of a supported molecular complex of transition metal ions under conditions of ambient temperature and pressure using a readily available household LED lamp, yield oxygenated products. The developed method represents a unique way to use CO.sub.2 as an oxygen transfer agent to unsaturated organic compounds along with the formation of CO as a co-product using light as an energy source.