The present invention provides an organometal catalyst having a cationic metal complex and a borate-based bulky anion, where the metal is one or more selected from the group consisting of metals in group 13, a method for preparing the same, and a method for preparing an oligomer or a polymer using the same.

Provided are novel dinuclear indium catalysts of formula (A) that are capable of living and immortal ring opening polymerization and copolymerization of cyclic ester monomers for the preparation of biodegradable polymers and copolymers, in particular polyesters. Also disclosed are polymerization methods and polymer products. These dinuclear indium catalysts allow less costly, highly reactive living polymerization of cyclic ester monomers with possible high turn over rates and/or substantial stereo-chemical and microstructure control. ##STR00001##

A method for making organo-metal material involves providing a metal ion source in a medium that removes metal ions from the source and forms 1D metal-containing coordination polymers that self-assemble and precipitate as at least one of a 2D and 3D coordination polymer material that can be thermally treated to produce a porous metal oxide material.

The present invention provides an organometal catalyst having a cationic metal complex and a borate-based bulky anion, where the metal is one or more selected from the group consisting of metals in group 13, a method for preparing the same, and a method for preparing an oligomer or a polymer using the same.

Processes for regenerating ionic liquid catalyst in which reaction vessel is operated under conditions sufficient to perform, in the presence of an ionic liquid catalyst, a hydrocarbon conversion reaction and provide a reaction effluent. The reaction effluent is separated into a hydrocarbon phase and a spent ionic liquid catalyst, wherein the spent ionic liquid catalyst includes conjunct polymer. The spent ionic liquid catalyst is contacted with hydrogen in a regeneration zone at conditions sufficient to reduce an amount of conjunct polymer in the spent ionic liquid catalyst to provide a regenerated effluent. The regenerated effluent is separated into a liquid phase comprising regenerated ionic liquid catalyst and a vapor phase comprising hydrogen and hydrogen chloride. The hydrocarbon phase is separated into a plurality of liquid hydrocarbon streams. The vapor phase is isolated from the liquid hydrocarbon streams. Alkylation processes are also disclosed.

The invention relates to a process for methanol synthesis comprising the steps of providing a syngas feed stream comprising hydrogen and a mixture of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, wherein carbon dioxide represents from 1 to 50 mol % of the total molar content of the feed stream, carbon monoxide is contained from 0.1 to 85 mol % of the total molar content, and H.sub.2 is comprised from 5 to 95 mol % of the total molar content of the feed stream; providing an indium oxide catalyst selected from a bulk catalyst and a supported catalyst comprising indium oxide (In.sub.2O.sub.3) as the main active phase; putting in contact said stream with said catalyst at a reaction temperature of at least 373 K (99.85 C.) and under a pressure ranging of at least 1 MPa; and recovering the methanol effluents. The invention also relates to an indium oxide based catalyst.

Processes for regenerating ionic liquid catalyst in which reaction vessel is operated under conditions sufficient to perform, in the presence of an ionic liquid catalyst, a hydrocarbon conversion reaction and provide a reaction effluent. The reaction effluent is separated into a hydrocarbon phase and a spent ionic liquid catalyst, wherein the spent ionic liquid catalyst includes conjunct polymer. The spent ionic liquid catalyst is contacted with hydrogen in a regeneration zone at conditions sufficient to reduce an amount of conjunct polymer in the spent ionic liquid catalyst to provide a regenerated effluent. The regenerated effluent is separated into a liquid phase comprising regenerated ionic liquid catalyst and a vapor phase comprising hydrogen and hydrogen chloride. The hydrocarbon phase is separated into a plurality of liquid hydrocarbon streams. The vapor phase is isolated from the liquid hydrocarbon streams. Alkylation processes are also disclosed.

In one aspect, the present invention provides catalysts for the carbonylation of heterocycles. The inventive catalysts feature metal-ligand complexes having cationic functional groups tethered to the ligand, wherein the tethered cationic groups are associated with anionic metal carbonyl species. The invention also provides methods of using the inventive catalysts to affect the ring opening carbonylation of epoxides.

The present invention is directed to catalysts and processes for catalyzing two or more chemical reactions with a multifunctional catalyst in a reaction vessel. The processes include steps for introducing one or more reagents to a reaction vessel containing a multifunctional catalyst; contacting the one or more reagents with a first portion of the multifunctional catalyst to produce an intermediate; contacting the intermediate with a second portion of the multifunctional catalyst to produce a product; and removing the product from the reaction vessel. In certain embodiments, the multifunctional catalyst may have a first portion with carbonylation functionality for catalyzing the production of a beta-lactone intermediate from an epoxide reagent and a carbon monoxide reagent. In certain embodiments, the multifunctional catalyst may have a second portion with a functionality suitable for polymerization, co-polymerization, and/or modification of a beta-lactone intermediate. In preferred embodiments, the first portion and second portion are bonded to a heterogenous support.

A method for making organo-metal material involves providing a metal ion source in a medium that removes metal ions from the source and forms 1D metal-containing coordination polymers that self-assemble and precipitate as at least one of a 2D and 3D coordination polymer material that can be thermally treated to produce a porous metal oxide material.