Provided is a process for converting an alkane to an alkene. The process comprises (a) contacting the alkane and either (i) an oxidizing electrophile comprising a main group element in oxidized form, or (ii) an oxidant and a reduced form of the oxidizing electrophile, in a liquid medium comprising an oxygen acid and optionally one or more additives selected from a non-oxidizable liquid, a salt additive, a Lewis acid, and water, to provide an oxidized intermediate and a reduced form of the oxidizing electrophile; (b) optionally separating the oxidized intermediate and the reduced form of the oxidizing electrophile; and (c) performing an elimination reaction on the oxidized intermediate to provide the alkene and the oxygen acid.

Composite catalysts having bismuth silicate(s) (e.g. Bi.sub.2SiO.sub.5) and transition metal oxide(s) (e.g. nickel oxide) impregnated on mesoporous silica supports such as SBA-15, mesoporous silica foam, and silica sol. Methods of making and characterizing the composite catalysts as well as processes for oxidatively dehydrogenating alkanes (e.g. n-butane) and/or alkenes (e.g. 1-butene, 2-butene) to corresponding dienes (e.g. butadiene) employing the composite catalysts are also described.

Provided is an oxidizing composition, in which a liquid medium is substantially inert in the presence of an oxidizing electrophile contained in the liquid medium. The composition comprises (a) an oxidizing electrophile comprising a main group element in oxidized form and at least one conjugate anion of an oxygen acid; (b) a non-oxidizable liquid selected from a fluorinated hydrocarbon, a sulfone, a deactivated arene, a deactivated aliphatic, a deactivated heteroarene, a deactivated heteroaliphatic, and a combination thereof; and (c) optionally one or more salt additives. Further provided are a method of using the oxidizing composition to oxidize a substrate and a method of generating and/or regenerating an oxidizing electrophile comprising a main group element.

Composite catalysts having bismuth silicate(s) (e.g. Bi.sub.2SiO.sub.5) and transition metal oxide(s) (e.g. nickel oxide) impregnated on mesoporous silica supports such as SBA-15, mesoporous silica foam, and silica sol. Methods of making and characterizing the composite catalysts as well as processes for oxidatively dehydrogenating alkanes (e.g. n-butane) and/or alkenes (e.g. 1-butene, 2-butene) to corresponding dienes (e.g. butadiene) employing the composite catalysts are also described.

A catalyst for preparing light olefin using direct conversion of syngas is a composite catalyst and formed by compounding component I and component II in a mechanical mixing mode. The active ingredient of component I is a metal oxide; and the component II is one or more than one of zeolite of CHA and AEI structures or metal modified CHA and/or AEI zeolite. A weight ratio of the active ingredients in the component Ito the component II is 0.1-20. The reaction process has high product yield and selectivity, wherein the sum of the selectivity of the propylene and butylene reaches 40-75%; and the sum of the selectivity of light olefin comprising ethylene, propylene and butylene can reach 50-90%. Meanwhile, the selectivity of a methane side product is less than 15%.

Provided is a process for oxidizing an alkene. The process comprises contacting an alkene, and either an oxidizing electrophile comprising a main group element in oxidized form or an oxidant and a reduced form of the oxidizing electrophile, in a liquid medium comprising an oxygen acid and optionally one or more additives selected from a non-oxidizable liquid, a salt additive, a Lewis acid, and water, to provide an oxygenate and a reduced form of the oxidizing electrophile. The process optionally further comprises separating the oxygenate and the reduced form of the oxidizing electrophile. The oxygenate can be further hydrolyzed to form an alcohol, diol, or polyol.

Metal oxide catalysts comprising various dopants are provided. The catalysts are useful as heterogenous catalysts in a variety of catalytic reactions, for example, the oxidative coupling of methane to C2 hydrocarbons such as ethane and ethylene. Related methods for use and manufacture of the same are also disclosed.

A catalyst containing LF-type B acid preparing ethylene using direct conversion of syngas is a composite catalyst and formed by compounding component A and component B in a mechanical mixing mode. The active ingredient of the component A is a metal oxide; the component B is a zeolite of MOR topology; and a weight ratio of the active ingredients in the component A to the component B is 0.1-20. The reaction process has an extremely high product yield and selectivity, with the selectivity for light olefin reaching 80-90%, wherein ethylene has high space time yield and can reach selectivity of 75-80%. Meanwhile, the selectivity for a methane side product is extremely low (<15%).

An organic base modified composite catalyst for producing ethylene by hydrogenation of carbon monoxide is a composite catalyst and formed by compounding component I and component II in a mechanical mixing mode. The active ingredient of the component I is a metal oxide; the component II is an organic base modified zeolite of MOR topology; and a weight ratio of the active ingredients in the component I to the component II is 0.1-20, and preferably 0.3-8. The reaction process has an extremely high product yield and selectivity. The selectivity of C.sub.2-C.sub.3 olefins is as high as 78-87%; the selectivity of hydrocarbon products with more than 4 C atoms is less than 10%; the selectivity of a methane side product is extremely low (<9%); and meanwhile, the selectivity of the ethylene is 75-82%.

A process for producing phenylstyrene comprises contacting benzene with hydrogen in the presence of a hydroalkylation catalyst under conditions effective to produce a hydroalkylation product comprising cyclohexylbenzene. At least part of the cyclohexylbenzene is then contacted with ethylbenzene in the presence of a transalkylation catalyst under conditions effective to produce a transalkylation product comprising cyclohexylethylbenzene and/or with ethylene in the presence of an alkylation catalyst under conditions effective to produce an alkylation product comprising cyclohexylethylbenzene. At least part of the cyclohexylethylbenzene is then contacted with a dehydrogenation catalyst under conditions effective to produce a dehydrogenation product comprising phenylstyrene.