Provided are a novel acyclic carbene ligand for ruthenium complex formation; a ruthenium complex catalyst using the ligand; a method of using the complex as a catalyst in an ethylene-metathesis ethenolysis reaction; a method of preparing the ruthenium complex catalyst; and a method of preparing a linear alpha-olefin, the method including the step of reacting a linear or cyclic alkene compound in the presence of the ruthenium complex catalyst. The acyclic carbene ligand of the present invention and the ruthenium complex catalyst using the same have high selectivity and turnover number for terminal olefin formation in an ethylene-metathesis ethenolysis reaction, and thus linear α-olefins may be prepared with a high yield.

The invention is directed to a process to continuously prepare a cyclic carbonate product by reacting an epoxide compound with carbon dioxide in the presence of a supported dimeric aluminium salen complex. The process is performed in a reactor comprising a slurry of the supported dimeric aluminium salen complex and liquid cyclic carbonate product. The produced cyclic carbonate is discharged from the reactor while the supported dimeric aluminium salen complex remains in the reactor. The liquid carbonate product is purified by means of distillation. Between the reactor and the distillation one or more buffer vessels are present having a volume of between 5 and 50 m.sup.3 per kmol of dimeric aluminium salen complex as present in the reactor.

Some embodiments of the invention include inventive catalysts (e.g., catalysts of Formula (I)). Other embodiments include compositions comprising the inventive catalysts. Some embodiments include methods of using the inventive catalysts (e.g., in hydrofluorination of an organic compound). Further embodiments include methods for making the inventive catalysts. Additional embodiments of the invention are also discussed herein.

A high-activity double-metal-cyanide catalyst, a method for fabricating the same, and applications of the same are disclosed. An organic complexing ligand, which is formed via mixing fatty alcohols and alicyclic carbonates, is used to generate a high-activity double-metal-cyanide catalyst. The high-activity double-metal-cyanide catalyst includes at least one double-metal-cyanide compound, at least one organic complexing ligand, and an optional functionalized compound. The double-metal-cyanide catalyst of the present invention has a higher activity than the conventional double-metal-cyanide catalysts. The polyols generated by the present invention has an insignificant amount of high-molecular-weight compounds.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and method of using the MOFs to catalyze reactions involving epoxide ring-opening mechanisms are provided. The structure of the MOFs can be represented by the formula: M.sub.6(μ.sub.3-ligand).sub.8(OH.sub.x).sub.8(TBAPy).sub.2, where M is Zr or Hf, the ligands are selected from hydroxo-, oxo- and aquo-ligands, and x is independently selected from 1 or 2.

A titanium-oxo-chelate catalyst formulation, comprising: (i) at least one compound of the formula (I), wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5, R.sub.6, R.sub.7, R.sub.8, R.sub.9, R.sub.10, R.sub.11 and R.sub.12 independently of each other are for example hydrogen, halogen, C.sub.1-C.sub.20alkyl, C.sub.6-C.sub.14aryl which is unsubstituted or substituted; or R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 and/or R.sub.4, R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 and/or R.sub.7, R.sub.8 and R.sub.9 and/or R.sub.10, R.sub.11 and R.sub.12 together with the C-atom to which they are attached each form a C.sub.6-C.sub.14aryl group which is unsubstituted or substituted; or R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 and/or R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 and/or R.sub.7 and R.sub.8 and/or R.sub.10 and R.sub.11 together with the C-atom to which they are attached form a 5- to 7-membered carbocyclic ring; at least one chelate ligand compound of the formula (IIa), (IIb) or (IIc), wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 are defined as above for formula (I), is suitable as photolatent catalyst formulation for polymerizing compounds, which are capable to crosslink in the presence of a Lewis acid. ##STR00001##

Described herein are multi-functionalized hollow fiber organocatalysts, processes for producing multi-functionalized hollow fiber organocatalysts, and processes that utilize multi-functionalized hollow fiber organocatalysts for reacting chemicals. A variety of chemical reactions may be enhanced with the multifunctional hollow fiber organocatalysts. The multi-functionalized hollow fiber organocatalysts are particularly advantageous when used as heterogeneous organocatalysts and continuous-flow reactors.

The invention is directed to a process to continuously react a gaseous mixture of an epoxide compound and carbon dioxide in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst at a pressure of between 0.1 and 0.4 MPa in one or more reactors to a liquid cyclic carbonate product and a gaseous effluent stream comprising unreacted epoxide compound and carbon dioxide. Part of the gaseous effluent is purged from the process and another part of the gaseous effluent is fed to an ejector where the gaseous effluent mixes with gaseous mixture of epoxide compound and carbon dioxide having a pressure which is at least more than 0.3 MPa higher than the pressure of the gaseous effluent. The obtained ejector effluent is fed to the one or more reactors.

A nanocage-confined catalyst has the formula: NC-m[M(Salen1)X]-n[M′(Salen2)]. NC is a material having a nanocage structure, and M(Salen1)X and M′ (Salen2) are active centers, respectively; each occurrence of M is independently selected from the group consisting of Co ion, Fe ion, Ga ion, Al ion, Cr ion, and a mixture thereof. Each occurrence of M′ is independently selected from Cu ion, Ni ion and a mixture thereof, m is 0 to 100; n is 0 to 100, with the proviso that at least one of m and n is not 0; each occurrence of Salen1 and Salen2 is independently a derivative of Shiff bases; X is an axial anion selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted acetate, substituted or unsubstituted benzene sulfonate, substituted or unsubstituted benzoate, F—, Cl—, Br—, I—, SbF6-, PF6-, BF4-, and a mixture thereof.

Some embodiments of the invention include inventive catalysts (e.g., catalysts of Formula (I)). Other embodiments include compositions comprising the inventive catalysts. Some embodiments include methods of using the inventive catalysts (e.g., in hydrofluorination of an organic compound). Further embodiments include methods for making the inventive catalysts. Additional embodiments of the invention are also discussed herein.