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.

The invention relates to a method of producing carbonyl compounds, more particularly C.sub.2-C.sub.4 ketones and aldehydes. The method is based on the gas-phase oxidation by nitrous oxide of C.sub.2-C.sub.4 alkane-olefin mixtures, such as a butane-butylene fraction or a propane-propylene fraction, obtained by thermal and/or catalytic cracking, to produce C.sub.2-C.sub.4 ketones and aldehydes. The process is carried out under continuous flow conditions at a temperature of 300-550° C. and pressure of 1-100 atm, without prior isolation of individual olefins from the fractionation products and in the absence of a catalyst. The process provides for high productivity, high overall selectivity for ketones and aldehydes, and explosion-safe operation.

The invention relates to a method of producing carbonyl compounds, more particularly C.sub.2-C.sub.4 ketones and aldehydes. The method is based on the gas-phase oxidation by nitrous oxide of C.sub.2-C.sub.4 alkane-olefin mixtures, such as a butane-butylene fraction or a propane-propylene fraction, obtained by thermal and/or catalytic cracking, to produce C.sub.2-C.sub.4 ketones and aldehydes. The process is carried out under continuous flow conditions at a temperature of 300-550° C. and pressure of 1-100 atm, without prior isolation of individual olefins from the fractionation products and in the absence of a catalyst. The process provides for high productivity, high overall selectivity for ketones and aldehydes, and explosion-safe operation.

The invention relates to a method of producing carbonyl compounds, more particularly C.sub.2-C.sub.4 ketones and aldehydes. The method is based on the gas-phase oxidation by nitrous oxide of C.sub.2-C.sub.4 alkane-olefin mixtures, such as a butane-butylene fraction or a propane-propylene fraction, obtained by thermal and/or catalytic cracking, to produce C.sub.2-C.sub.4 ketones and aldehydes. The process is carried out under continuous flow conditions at a temperature of 300-550° C. and pressure of 1-100 atm, without prior isolation of individual olefins from the fractionation products and in the absence of a catalyst. The process provides for high productivity, high overall selectivity for ketones and aldehydes, and explosion-safe operation.

Provided is a method for producing a compound represented by general formula (I) by oxidative cleavage of a compound of formula (II), which is a bicyclic tetrasubstituted olefin compound, using hydrogen peroxide. The method for producing a compound represented by general formula (I) includes a step of subjecting a compound represented by general formula (II) to oxidative cleavage using hydrogen peroxide in the presence of an acid catalyst or in the presence of a tungstic acid compound to obtain the compound represented by general formula (I):

##STR00001##

[In the formulae, formula -A.sup.1- (where the front bond denotes a bond that bonds with a carbon atom C.sup.1 while the back bond denotes a bond that bonds with a carbon atom C.sup.2) is an alkylene group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms that may have been substituted and that may further include an ether bond, an ester bond, a secondary amino group, a thioether group, or these, and formula -A.sup.2- (where the front bond denotes a bond that bonds with a carbon atom C.sup.1 while the back bond denotes a bond that bonds with a carbon atom C.sup.2) is an alkylene group having 4 to 10 carbon atoms that may have been substituted and that may further include an ether bond, an ester bond, a secondary amino group, a thioether group, or these.]

Provided is a method for producing a compound represented by general formula (I) by oxidative cleavage of a compound of formula (II), which is a bicyclic tetrasubstituted olefin compound, using hydrogen peroxide. The method for producing a compound represented by general formula (I) includes a step of subjecting a compound represented by general formula (II) to oxidative cleavage using hydrogen peroxide in the presence of an acid catalyst or in the presence of a tungstic acid compound to obtain the compound represented by general formula (I):

##STR00001##

[In the formulae, formula -A.sup.1- (where the front bond denotes a bond that bonds with a carbon atom C.sup.1 while the back bond denotes a bond that bonds with a carbon atom C.sup.2) is an alkylene group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms that may have been substituted and that may further include an ether bond, an ester bond, a secondary amino group, a thioether group, or these, and formula -A.sup.2- (where the front bond denotes a bond that bonds with a carbon atom C.sup.1 while the back bond denotes a bond that bonds with a carbon atom C.sup.2) is an alkylene group having 4 to 10 carbon atoms that may have been substituted and that may further include an ether bond, an ester bond, a secondary amino group, a thioether group, or these.]

In this invention, a portion of the products from a pyrolysis reactor are reacted in a process to form one or more chemical intermediates.

In this invention, a portion of the products from a pyrolysis reactor are reacted in a process to form one or more chemical intermediates.

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.