Provided herein are methods for producing α,β-unsaturated ketones from the condensation of methyl ketones in the presence of an amine catalyst. Such amine catalysts may be supported, for example, on a silica-alumina support. Such amine catalysts may be used in the presence of an additional acid. The α,β-unsaturated ketones may be produced by dimerization and/or timerization of the methyl ketones. Such α,β-unsaturated ketones may be suitable for use in producing fuels, gasoline additives, and/or lubricants, or precursors thereof. The methyl ketones may be obtained from renewable sources, such as by the fermentation of biomass.

The invention describes phospho-amino pincer-type ligands, metal complexes thereof, and catalytic methods comprising such metal complexes for conversion of carbon dioxide to methanol, conversion of aldehydes into alcohols, conversion of aldehydes in the presence of a trifluoromethylation agent into trifluorinated secondary alcohols, cycloaddition of carbon dioxide to an epoxide to provide cyclic carbonates or preparation of an amide from the combination of an alcohol and an amine.

Provided is a process for producing an optically active hydroxyaldehyde or aminohydroxyaldehyde. The process for producing an optically active hydroxyaldehyde or aminohydroxyaldehyde is characterized by reacting an aldehyde or an imine with a boric acid enol ester in the presence of a copper compound and an optically active bidentate phosphine compound.

The invention describes phospho-amino pincer-type ligands, metal complexes thereof, and catalytic methods comprising such metal complexes for conversion of carbon dioxide to methanol, conversion of aldehydes into alcohols, conversion of aldehydes in the presence of a trifluoromethylation agent into trifluorinated secondary alcohols, cycloaddition of carbon dioxide to an epoxide to provide cyclic carbonates or preparation of an amide from the combination of an alcohol and an amine.

Various processes for preparing C.sub.4 aldoses and/or ketones thereof are described. Various processes are described for preparing C.sub.4 aldoses and/or ketones thereof from feed compositions comprising glycolaldehyde. Also, various processes for preparing useful downstream products and intermediates, such as erythritol and erythronic acid, from the C.sub.4 aldoses and/or ketones thereof are described.

In an embodiment, the present disclosure pertains to a solvent including a hydrocarbon oligomer with at least 20 carbon atoms, where the hydrocarbon oligomer has at least one of a low viscosity, a low vapor pressure, and a high flashpoint. In another embodiment, the present disclosure pertains to a solution including a poly(α-olefin) and a reactive organometallic reagent. In a further embodiment, the present disclosure pertains to a solution including an oligomeric hydrocarbon and a reactive organometallic reagent. In an additional embodiment, the present disclosure pertains to a method for creating a solution, where the method includes adding a reactive organometallic reagent to an oligomeric hydrocarbon.

The invention describes phospho-amino pincer-type ligands, metal complexes thereof, and catalytic methods comprising such metal complexes for conversion of carbon dioxide to methanol, conversion of aldehydes into alcohols, conversion of aldehydes in the presence of a trifluoromethylation agent into trifluorinated secondary alcohols, cycloaddition of carbon dioxide to an epoxide to provide cyclic carbonates or preparation of an amide from the combination of an alcohol and an amine.

This invention relates to a process for producing electron deficient olefins, such as 2-cyanoacrylates, using an acid catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation reaction.

Lewis acidic metal-organic framework (MOF) materials comprising triflate-coordinated metal nodes are described. The materials can be used as heterogenous catalysts in a wide range of organic group transformations, including Diels-Alder reactions, epoxide-ring opening reactions, Friedel-Crafts acylation reactions and alkene hydroalkoxylation reactions. The MOFs can also be prepared with metallated organic bridging ligands to provide heterogenous catalysts for tandem reactions and/or prepared as composites with support particles for use in columns of continuous flow reactor systems. Methods of preparing and using the MOF materials and their composites are also described.

A method for synthesizing a chiral -hydroxy acid ester compound is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: using an aldehyde compound and a monoalkyl malonate as raw materials, using a metal and a chiral ligand as a catalyst to make the raw materials be directly and fully reacted in an organic solvent and form a reaction solution, and separating and purifying the reaction solution to obtain the highly stereoselective -hydroxy acid ester compound. The beneficial effects are mainly embodied in: 1. simple operation; 2. rapidly constructing a highly stereoselective -hydroxy acid ester skeleton structure molecule; 3. high reaction yield and good stereoselectivity. Therefore, the invention has high basic research significance, industrial production value and social economic benefit.