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.

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.

Disclosed herein is a process for forming an oligomer product comprising (a) introducing into a reaction zone (i) ethylene; (ii) a heteroatomic ligand metal salt complex comprising a heteroatomic ligand complexed to a first metal salt; (iii) a second metal salt wherein an equivalent molar ratio of the second metal salt to the heteroatomic ligand of the heteroatomic ligand metal salt complex is at least 0.5:1 and where the second metal salt is an iron salt, a cobalt salt, or any combination thereof; (iv) an organoaluminum compound; and (b) forming an oligomer product. Also disclosed herein is a process comprising (a) introducing into a reaction zone (i) ethylene; (ii) a heteroatomic ligand; (iii) a metal salt where an equivalent molar ratio of the metal salt to the heteroatomic ligand is at least 1.5:1; (iv) an organoaluminum compound; and (b) forming an oligomer product.

Disclosed herein is a process for forming an oligomer product comprising (a) introducing into a reaction zone (i) ethylene; (ii) a heteroatomic ligand metal salt complex comprising a heteroatomic ligand complexed to a first metal salt; (iii) a second metal salt wherein an equivalent molar ratio of the second metal salt to the heteroatomic ligand of the heteroatomic ligand metal salt complex is at least 0.5:1 and where the second metal salt is an iron salt, a cobalt salt, or any combination thereof; (iv) an organoaluminum compound; and (b) forming an oligomer product. Also disclosed herein is a process comprising (a) introducing into a reaction zone (i) ethylene; (ii) a heteroatomic ligand; (iii) a metal salt where an equivalent molar ratio of the metal salt to the heteroatomic ligand is at least 1.5:1; (iv) an organoaluminum compound; and (b) forming an oligomer product.

The conversion of nootkatol to nootkatene in a terpene blend is intentionally caused by adding a catalytically effective amount of at least one compound that catalyzes the reaction of nootkatol to nootkatene to the terpene blend containing nootkatol. Methods of preparing terpene blends, terpene blends, flavour compositions containing the terpene blends, beverages and foodstuffs containing the flavour compositions, fragrance compositions containing the terpene blends, and fragranced products containing the fragrance composition are also disclosed.

Disclosed herein is a process for forming an oligomer product comprising (a) introducing into a reaction zone (i) ethylene; (ii) a heteroatomic ligand metal salt complex comprising a heteroatomic ligand complexed to a first metal salt; (iii) a second metal salt wherein an equivalent molar ratio of the second metal salt to the heteroatomic ligand of the heteroatomic ligand metal salt complex is at least 0.5:1 and where the second metal salt is an iron salt, a cobalt salt, or any combination thereof; (iv) an organoaluminum compound; and (b) forming an oligomer product. Also disclosed herein is a process comprising (a) introducing into a reaction zone (i) ethylene; (ii) a heteroatomic ligand; (iii) a metal salt where an equivalent molar ratio of the metal salt to the heteroatomic ligand is at least 1.5:1; (iv) an organoaluminum compound; and (b) forming an oligomer product.

Disclosed herein is a process for forming an oligomer product comprising (a) introducing into a reaction zone (i) ethylene; (ii) a heteroatomic ligand metal salt complex comprising a heteroatomic ligand complexed to a first metal salt; (iii) a second metal salt wherein an equivalent molar ratio of the second metal salt to the heteroatomic ligand of the heteroatomic ligand metal salt complex is at least 0.5:1 and where the second metal salt is an iron salt, a cobalt salt, or any combination thereof; (iv) an organoaluminum compound; and (b) forming an oligomer product. Also disclosed herein is a process comprising (a) introducing into a reaction zone (i) ethylene; (ii) a heteroatomic ligand; (iii) a metal salt where an equivalent molar ratio of the metal salt to the heteroatomic ligand is at least 1.5:1; (iv) an organoaluminum compound; and (b) forming an oligomer product.

Catalyst compositions for the conversion of aldehyde compounds and primary alcohol compounds to olefins are disclosed herein. Reactions include oxidative dehydroxymethylation processes and oxidative dehydroformylation methods, which are beneficially conducted in the presence of a sacrificial acceptor of H.sub.2 gas, such as N,N-dimethylacrylamide.

The present disclosure provides methods to produce para-xylene, toluene, and other compounds from renewable sources (e.g., cellulose, hemicellulose, starch, sugar) and ethylene in the presence of a catalyst. For example, cellulose and/or hemicellulose may be converted into 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF), which may be converted into para-xylene by cycloaddition of ethylene to DMF. Para-xylene can then be oxidized to form terephthalic acid.

Provided is a method for producing a cyclic olefin compound, including a step of producing a cyclic olefin compound by acting a divalent nickel complex represented by General Formula (1) to decarbonylate and decarboxylate an alicyclic dicarboxylic acid anhydride, in which the divalent nickel complex includes at least one specific anionic ligand Y:
Ni(Y).sub.m(L).sub.n(1) wherein Ni is divalent nickel, Y is an anionic monodentate or polydentate ligand and has at least one Ni-E covalent bond, E is a heteroatom or a n-bonding group, m is 1 or 2, L is a neutral ligand, and n is a real number of 0 to 6.