In one embodiment, the present application discloses a catalyst composition comprising: a) a reaction solvent or a reaction medium; b) organometallic nanoparticles comprising: i) a nanoparticle (NP) catalyst, prepared by a reduction of an iron salt in an organic solvent, wherein the catalyst comprises at least one other metal selected from the group consisting of Pd, Pt, Au, Ni, Co, Cu, Mn, Rh, Ir, Ru and Os or mixtures thereof; c) a ligand; and d) a surfactant; wherein the metal or mixtures thereof is present in less than or equal to 50,000 ppm relative to the iron salt.

The invention relates to a use of a fluorination gas, wherein the elemental fluorine (F.sub.2) is present in a high concentration, for example, in a concentration of elemental fluorine (F.sub.2), especially of equal to much higher than 15% or even 20% by volume (i.e., at least 15% or even 20% by volume), and to a process for the manufacture of a fluorinated benzene by direct fluorination employing a fluorination gas, wherein the elemental fluorine (F.sub.2) is present in a high concentration. The process of the invention is directed to the manufacture of a fluorinated benzene by direct fluorination. Especially the invention is of interest in the preparation of fluorinated benzene, final products and as well intermediates, for usage in agro-, pharma-, electronics-, catalyst, solvent and other functional chemical applications. The fluorination process of the invention may be performed batch-wise or in a continuous manner. If the process of the invention is performed batch-wise, a column (tower) reactor may be used. If the process of the invention is continuous a microreactor may be used. The invention is characterized in that the starting compound is benzene, and the fluorinated compound produced is a fluorinated benzene, preferably monofluorobenzene.

The invention relates to a use of a fluorination gas, wherein the elemental fluorine (F.sub.2) is present in a high concentration, for example, in a concentration of elemental fluorine (F.sub.2), especially of equal to much higher than 15% or even 20% by volume (i.e., at least 15% or even 20% by volume), and to a process for the manufacture of a fluorinated benzene by direct fluorination employing a fluorination gas, wherein the elemental fluorine (F.sub.2) is present in a high concentration. The process of the invention is directed to the manufacture of a fluorinated benzene by direct fluorination. Especially the invention is of interest in the preparation of fluorinated benzene, final products and as well intermediates, for usage in agro-, pharma-, electronics-, catalyst, solvent and other functional chemical applications. The fluorination process of the invention may be performed batch-wise or in a continuous manner. If the process of the invention is performed batch-wise, a column (tower) reactor may be used. If the process of the invention is continuous a microreactor may be used. The invention is characterized in that the starting compound is benzene, and the fluorinated compound produced is a fluorinated benzene, preferably monofluorobenzene.

A method of preparing a difluorinated alcohol compound is provided. The difluorinated alcohol compound can be easily synthesized when an aldehyde and N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide are reacted in the presence of L-proline, and thus the method has advantage in that preparation processes are simple and reagents are economical and safe, compared to the related-art methods. Therefore, the preparation method can be effectively applied to prepare a difluorinated alcohol used in various applications for raw materials such as functional medicines, agricultural chemicals, polymerizable compounds, etc.

A method of preparing a difluorinated alcohol compound is provided. The difluorinated alcohol compound can be easily synthesized when an aldehyde and N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide are reacted in the presence of L-proline, and thus the method has advantage in that preparation processes are simple and reagents are economical and safe, compared to the related-art methods. Therefore, the preparation method can be effectively applied to prepare a difluorinated alcohol used in various applications for raw materials such as functional medicines, agricultural chemicals, polymerizable compounds, etc.

A method of preparing a difluorinated alcohol compound is provided. The difluorinated alcohol compound can be easily synthesized when an aldehyde and N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide are reacted in the presence of L-proline, and thus the method has advantage in that preparation processes are simple and reagents are economical and safe, compared to the related-art methods. Therefore, the preparation method can be effectively applied to prepare a difluorinated alcohol used in various applications for raw materials such as functional medicines, agricultural chemicals, polymerizable compounds, etc.

The present invention relates to a novel process for the preparation of 9-dichloromethylene-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1,4-methano-naphthalen-5-ylamine which process comprises a) reacting cyclopentadiene in the presence of a radical initiator and CXCl.sub.3, wherein X is chloro or bromo, to a compound of formula II ##STR00001## aa) reacting cyclopentadiene with CXCl.sub.3, wherein X is chloro, in the presence of a metal catalyst to a compound of formula II ##STR00002## wherein X is chloro, b) reacting the compound of formula II with a base in the presence of an appropriate solvent to the compound of formula III ##STR00003## c) and converting the compound of formula III in the presence of 1,2-dehydro-6-nitrobenzene to the compound of formula IV ##STR00004## and d) hydrogenating the compound of formula IV in the presence of a metal catalyst.

The present invention relates to a novel process for the preparation of 9-dichloromethylene-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1,4-methano-naphthalen-5-ylamine which process comprises a) reacting cyclopentadiene in the presence of a radical initiator and CXCl.sub.3, wherein X is chloro or bromo, to a compound of formula II ##STR00001## aa) reacting cyclopentadiene with CXCl.sub.3, wherein X is chloro, in the presence of a metal catalyst to a compound of formula II ##STR00002## wherein X is chloro, b) reacting the compound of formula II with a base in the presence of an appropriate solvent to the compound of formula III ##STR00003## c) and converting the compound of formula III in the presence of 1,2-dehydro-6-nitrobenzene to the compound of formula IV ##STR00004## and d) hydrogenating the compound of formula IV in the presence of a metal catalyst.

The present invention relates to a novel process for the preparation of 9-dichloromethylene-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1,4-methano-naphthalen-5-ylamine which process comprises a) reacting cyclopentadiene in the presence of a radical initiator and CXCl.sub.3, wherein X is chloro or bromo, to a compound of formula II ##STR00001## aa) reacting cyclopentadiene with CXCl.sub.3, wherein X is chloro, in the presence of a metal catalyst to a compound of formula II ##STR00002## wherein X is chloro, b) reacting the compound of formula II with a base in the presence of an appropriate solvent to the compound of formula III ##STR00003## c) and converting the compound of formula III in the presence of 1,2-dehydro-6-nitrobenzene to the compound of formula IV ##STR00004## and d) hydrogenating the compound of formula IV in the presence of a metal catalyst.

The invention provides compounds and methods, for example, to carry out organocatalytic Michael additions of aldehydes to cyclically constrained nitroethylene compounds catalyzed by a proline derivative to provide cyclically constrained α-substituted-γ-nitro-aldehydes. The reaction can be rendered enantioselective when a chiral pyrrolidine catalyst is used, allowing for Michael adducts in nearly optically pure form (e.g., 96 to >99% e.e.). The Michael adducts can bear a single substituent or dual substituents adjacent to the carbonyl. The Michael adducts can be efficiently converted to cyclically constrained protected γ-amino acid residues, which are essential for systematic conformational studies of γ-peptide foldamers. New methods are also provided to prepare other γ-amino acids and peptides. These new building blocks can be used to prepare foldamers, such as α/γ-peptide foldamers, that adopt specific helical conformations in solution and in the solid state.