Isomerization of normal paraffins to form branched paraffins may be complicated by significant cracking of C.sub.7+ paraffins under isomerization reaction conditions. This issue may complicate upgrading of hydrocarbon feeds having significant quantities of heavier normal paraffins. Cracking selectivity may be decreased by combining one or more naphthenic compounds with a feed mixture comprising at least one C.sub.7+ normal paraffin and/or by utilizing tungstated zirconium catalysts having decreased tungsten loading. Further, C.sub.5 and C.sub.6 normal paraffins may undergo isomerization in the presence of C.sub.7+ normal paraffins. Methods for isomerizing normal paraffins may comprise: providing a feed mixture comprising at least C.sub.5-C.sub.7 normal paraffins and lacking normal paraffins larger than C.sub.8; and contacting the feed mixture with a bifunctional mixed metal oxide catalyst under isomerization reaction conditions effective to form a product mixture comprising one or more branched paraffins formed from each of the C.sub.5-C.sub.7 normal paraffins.

The present invention provides a catalyst for hydrogen peroxide decomposition with which hydrogen peroxide present in acid-containing water to be treated can be efficiently decomposed at low cost and which is less apt to dissolve away in the water being treated, can be stably used over a long period, and renders acid recovery and recycling possible. The present invention has solved the problems with a catalyst for hydrogen peroxide decomposition which is for use in decomposing hydrogen peroxide present in acid-containing water to be treated, the catalyst including a base and, a catalyst layer that is amorphous, includes a platinum-group metal having catalytic function and a Group-6 element metal having catalytic function and is formed over the base.

Described herein are heterogeneous materials comprising a p-type semiconductor comprising two metal oxide compounds of the same metal in two different oxidation states and an n-type semiconductor having a deeper valence band than the p-type semiconductor valence bands, wherein the semiconductor types are in ionic communication with each other. The heterogeneous materials enhance photocatalytic activity.

Processes are disclosed for the conversion of 1,6-hexanediol to adipic acid employing a chemocatalytic reaction in which 1,6-hexanediol is reacted with oxygen in the presence of particular heterogeneous catalysts including at least one of platinum or gold. The metals are preferably provided on a support selected from the group of titania, stabilized titania, zirconia, stabilized zirconia, silica or mixtures thereof, most preferably zirconia stabilized with tungsten. The reaction with oxygen is carried out at a temperature from about 100° C. to about 300° C. and at a partial pressure of oxygen from about 50 psig to about 2000 psig.

The present invention relates to a high-performance polyoxometalate catalyst and a method of preparing the same. More particularly, the present invention provides a high-performance polyoxometalate catalyst, the activity and selectivity of which may be improved by controlling the content of vanadium and the like and which has superior reproducibility and may unsaturated carboxylic acid from unsaturated aldehyde in a high yield for a long time, a method of preparing the same, and the like.

A photocatalytic functional film has a structure of a substrate, a barrier layer and a photocatalytic layer stacked one on another. The barrier layer is an amorphous TiO.sub.2 film, the photocatalyst layer comprises an amorphous TiO.sub.2 film, and particles of visible light responsive photocatalytic material formed on the surface of the amorphous TiO.sub.2 film. A method for producing a photocatalytic functional film includes: adding an alcohol solvent and an acid to a titanium precursor to obtain a TiO.sub.2 amorphous sol by dehydration and de-alcoholization reaction; applying and drying the TiO.sub.2 amorphous sol on a substrate to form a barrier layer; and applying and drying a composition formed by mixing particles of visible light responsive photocatalyst material with the TiO.sub.2 amorphous sol on the barrier layer, to form a photocatalyst layer.

Disclosed is a catalyst system, its methods of preparation and its use for producing, among others, alkenes and/or saturated or unsaturated oxygenates and, which include at least one of an aldehyde and an acid (such as propyl aldehyde, acrolein, acrylic acid, isobutyl aldehyde, methacrolein, methacrylic acid), comprising subjecting the corresponding an alcohol or a diol selected from the group consisting of propanol, propanediol and isobutanol that is derivable from biomass, to a vapor phase process over the catalytic system described herein in the presence of a gas mixture of oxygen, air or nitrogen and/or other suitable diluting gas. In the case where one of 1-propanol, or 1,2-propanediol or 1,3-propanediol or a mixture thereof is subjected to a vapor phase catalytic process over the said catalytic system in the presence of air or oxygen, and a co-fed gas, such as nitrogen or other diluting gas, the product is at least one of propylene, propyl aldehyde, acrolein and acrylic acid. In the case where isobutanol is subjected to such a process, the product is at least one of isobutylene, isobutyl aldehyde, methacrolein and methacrylic acid. The catalyst system comprises a single catalytic zone or multi-catalytic zones, in each of which the composition of the co-feed and other reaction parameter can be independently controlled.

Provided is a photocatalyst layer that improves the photocatalytic performance while suppressing detachment of photocatalyst particles. The photocatalyst layer has a front surface and a rear surface on the opposite side of the front surface. The photocatalyst layer includes photocatalyst particles and a binder. The photocatalyst layer has a first region containing the photocatalyst particles and a second region containing the binder and not containing the photocatalyst particles. The photocatalyst particles include tungsten oxide particles. The photocatalyst particles have contact points being in contact with the rear surface. The ratio of the thickness of the second region to the number-average secondary particle diameter of the photocatalyst particles is 0.20 or more and 0.80 or less.

The present invention provides a photocatalytic coating material that can be stored for an extended period of time without allowing proliferation of, for example, bacteria and fungi. The photocatalytic coating material in accordance with the present invention contains: a dispersion medium containing water; photocatalytic fine particles dispersed in the dispersion medium; and silver ions, a concentration of the silver ions of the photocatalytic coating material is 0.6 ppm or more.

The present invention provides a porous metal-containing carbon-based material that is stable at high temperatures under aqueous conditions. The porous metal-containing carbon-based materials are particularly useful in catalytic applications. Also provided, are methods for making and using porous shaped metal-carbon products prepared from these materials.