The present invention provides a novel cationic ruthenium complex which is easy to produce and handle and can be procured at a relatively low cost and a production method for the ruthenium complex, a method for producing an alcohol or the like using the ruthenium complex as a catalyst, a method for producing a carbonyl compound using the ruthenium complex as a catalyst, and a method for producing a N-alkylamine compound using the ruthenium complex as a catalyst. The present invention pertains to a ruthenium complex represented by general formula (1): [RuX(CO).sub.2(PNP)]Y (wherein, X represents a monovalent anionic monodentate ligand, Y represents a counter anion, PNP represents a tridentate ligand, and CO represents carbon monoxide), a production method for the ruthenium complex, a catalyst containing the ruthenium complex, and a production method for various organic compounds using the catalyst.

Disclosed is a method for preparing a material of plant origin rich in phenolic acids, including at least one metal, including: preparing a material of plant origin chosen from: aquatic plants; materials rich in tannins; materials rich in lignin; and obtaining a material of plant origin, rich in phenolic acids, in which the ratio of the intensity of the vibration band of the CO bond of the COOH group and the intensity of each of the vibration bands the aromatic ring determined in FT-IR is between 0.5 and 4. The material of plant origin is brought into contact with an effluent including from 0.1 to 1000 mg/l of at least one metal, thus obtaining a material of plant origin rich in phenolic acids including from 1 to 30% by weight of at least one metal relative to the total weight of the material.

Disclosed is a method for preparing a material of plant origin rich in phenolic acids, including at least one metal, including: preparing a material of plant origin chosen from: aquatic plants; materials rich in tannins; materials rich in lignin; and obtaining a material of plant origin, rich in phenolic acids, in which the ratio of the intensity of the vibration band of the CO bond of the COOH group and the intensity of each of the vibration bands the aromatic ring determined in FT-IR is between 0.5 and 4. The material of plant origin is brought into contact with an effluent including from 0.1 to 1000 mg/l of at least one metal, thus obtaining a material of plant origin rich in phenolic acids including from 1 to 30% by weight of at least one metal relative to the total weight of the material.

The disclosure relates to a method for depolymerizing lignin. The method includes reacting a lignin compound with a thiol compound to depolymerize the lignin compound and to form a depolymerized lignin product having a reduced molecular weight relative to the lignin compound prior to reacting. The method can further include forming an oxidized thiol reaction product between two thiol groups from one or more thiol compounds, and then reducing the oxidized thiol reaction product to re-form or regenerate the thiol compound for further lignin depolymerization.

The disclosure relates to a method for depolymerizing lignin. The method includes reacting a lignin compound with a thiol compound to depolymerize the lignin compound and to form a depolymerized lignin product having a reduced molecular weight relative to the lignin compound prior to reacting. The method can further include forming an oxidized thiol reaction product between two thiol groups from one or more thiol compounds, and then reducing the oxidized thiol reaction product to re-form or regenerate the thiol compound for further lignin depolymerization.

Disclosed is a method for preparing a solid material including manganese, the method including the following steps: a. bringing into contact an aqueous effluent including manganese, for example at least 5 mg/L, typically at least 5 to 50 mg/L, and preferably 7 to 25 mg/L of manganese, with an oxidizing agent, manganese, preferably at a temperature between 10 C. and 50 C., and obtaining an oxidized aqueous solution; b. adding a base to the oxidized aqueous solution obtained at the end of step a) until a pH of between 8 and 12, preferably greater than 9, and preferably from 9 to 10.5, and obtaining a solution including a precipitate; c. filtration of the solution obtained at the end of step b); and d. obtaining a solid material including manganese, and especially manganese (IV) and/or Mn (III).

Disclosed is a method for preparing a solid material including manganese, the method including the following steps: a. bringing into contact an aqueous effluent including manganese, for example at least 5 mg/L, typically at least 5 to 50 mg/L, and preferably 7 to 25 mg/L of manganese, with an oxidizing agent, manganese, preferably at a temperature between 10 C. and 50 C., and obtaining an oxidized aqueous solution; b. adding a base to the oxidized aqueous solution obtained at the end of step a) until a pH of between 8 and 12, preferably greater than 9, and preferably from 9 to 10.5, and obtaining a solution including a precipitate; c. filtration of the solution obtained at the end of step b); and d. obtaining a solid material including manganese, and especially manganese (IV) and/or Mn (III).

The present disclosure provides a method for decomposing a phenolic by-product, the method including: a step S10 of injecting and mixing a bisphenol A by-product produced in a bisphenol A production process, a mixed by-product stream of phenol by-products produced in a phenol production process, a decomposition apparatus side discharge stream, and a process water stream in a mixing apparatus; a step S20 of injecting a mixing apparatus discharge stream discharged from the mixing apparatus into a phase separation apparatus and phase-separating the mixing apparatus discharge stream into an oil-phase stream and a liquid-phase stream; a step S30 of feeding the oil-phase stream, which is phase-separated in the step S20 and discharged from the phase separation apparatus, to a decomposition apparatus to decompose the oil-phase stream; and a step S40 of circulating the decomposition apparatus side discharge stream obtained by the decomposition in the step S30 to the mixing apparatus in the step S10.

The present disclosure provides a method for decomposing a phenolic by-product, the method including: a step S10 of injecting and mixing a bisphenol A by-product produced in a bisphenol A production process, a mixed by-product stream of phenol by-products produced in a phenol production process, a decomposition apparatus side discharge stream, and a process water stream in a mixing apparatus; a step S20 of injecting a mixing apparatus discharge stream discharged from the mixing apparatus into a phase separation apparatus and phase-separating the mixing apparatus discharge stream into an oil-phase stream and a liquid-phase stream; a step S30 of feeding the oil-phase stream, which is phase-separated in the step S20 and discharged from the phase separation apparatus, to a decomposition apparatus to decompose the oil-phase stream; and a step S40 of circulating the decomposition apparatus side discharge stream obtained by the decomposition in the step S30 to the mixing apparatus in the step S10.

Provided is a chiller and system that may be utilized in a supercritical fluid chromatography method, wherein a non-polar solvent may replace a portion or all of a polar solvent for the purpose of separating or extracting desired sample molecules from a combined sample/solvent stream. The system may reduce the amount of polar solvent necessary for chromatographic separation and/or extraction of desired samples. The system may incorporate a supercritical fluid chiller, a supercritical fluid pressure-equalizing vessel and a supercritical fluid cyclonic separator. The supercritical fluid chiller allows for efficient and consistent pumping of liquid-phase gases employing off-the-shelf HPLC pumps. The pressure equalizing vessel allows the use of off-the-shelf HPLC column cartridges. The system may further incorporate the use of one or more disposable cartridges containing silica gel or other suitable medium. The system may also utilize an open loop cooling circuit using fluids with a positive Joule-Thomson coefficient.