Provided are methods of forming a carbon-carbon bond between a first compound and a second compound through a hydroarylation chemical reaction. The methods include contacting the first compound and the second compound in the presence of an acid catalyst. The methods include forming a carbon-carbon bond wherein the first compound includes a first aryl group that is electron-deficient. Provided is a method of generating a quaternary carbon through a hydroarylation chemical reaction.

An alkylation catalyst composition is provided which comprises an acid, an aromatic, and a third component selected from the group consisting of a base capable of forming an ionic liquid with the acid; and an ionic liquid. An alkylation process is also provided which comprises combining the alkylation catalyst composition with a feedstock under conditions to produce an alkylate product for a motor fuel additive. The alkylate product produced by the alkylation process is also provided.

Disclosed are a method for producing lactic acid from wastes containing cellulose and/or hemicellulose and a catalyst for thermochemical conversion reaction of wastes containing cellulose and/or hemicellulose. The method includes a step of adding a metal catalyst to wastes containing cellulose and/or hemicellulose and performing thermochemical conversion reaction. The method provides an effect of producing lactic acid from discarded wastes, e.g., waste paper such as waste corrugated paperboards, waste paper boxes, waste newspapers, etc.

Provided are methods for hydrolyzing and condensing organooxysilanes using aprotic catalysts comprising silanes containing one or more groups that are the anions derived from strong acids, and/or aprotic catalysts comprising aprotic derivatives of strong acids such as acid esters, acid chlorides, or acid anhydrides. The methods are applicable, e.g., to restoration of dielectric properties of electrical cables by injecting a dielectric enhancement fluid composition containing one or more of the disclosed aprotic catalysts into the interior of an electrical cable having a central stranded conductor encased in a polymeric insulation jacket and having an interstitial void volume in the region of the conductor. Relative to use of protic strong acid catalysts, the disclosed aprotic catalyst methods have utility to reduce or eliminate corrosion of the conductor during treatment with the dielectric enhancement fluid.

An improved process for acid-catalyzed acylation using water-tolerant Lewis acid catalysts is described. The method involves reacting a reduction products of 5-(hydroxylmethyl)-furfural (HMF), in particular either furan-2,5-dimethanol (FDM) or bis-2,5-(hydroxymethyl)-tetrahydrofuran (bHMTHFs), with an excess of an organic acid in the presence of a Lewis acid metal triflate at a temperature and time sufficient to produce esters. The conversions of the reduction products of HMF to corresponding diesters can be quantitative with certain favored Lewis acids catalysts.

A process for the production of organic acids having at least three carbon atoms comprises the steps of forming an amount of carbon monoxide and reacting the amount of carbon monoxide with an amount of an unsaturated hydrocarbon. The reaction is preferably carried out in the presence of a supported palladium catalyst, a strong acid, and a phosphine. In some embodiments, the unsaturated hydrocarbon is one of acetylene and methylacetylene, and the organic acid is one of acrylic acid and methyl acrylic acid. The reacting step is preferably performed with carbon monoxide produced from carbon dioxide.

A method of producing an N,N-disubstituted amide of the present invention is a method of reacting a nitrile with an alcohol in the presence of a catalyst, wherein the nitrile is a compound represented by R.sup.1CN (R.sup.1 represents an alkyl group having 10 or less carbon atoms or an aryl group having 10 or less carbon atoms), wherein the alcohol is a compound represented by R.sup.2OH (R.sup.2 represents an alkyl group having 10 or less carbon atoms), wherein the catalyst is a metal salt represented by MXn (M represents a metal cation having an oxidation number of n, X represents a monovalent anion including a substituted sulfonyl group represented by —S(═O).sub.2—R.sup.3 (R.sup.3 represents a hydrocarbon group having 10 or less carbon atoms or a group in which some or all of hydrogen atoms in the hydrocarbon group are substituted with fluorine atoms), and n represents an integer of 1 to 4), a substituent bonded to a carbon atom in a carbonyl group of the N,N-disubstituted amide is R.sup.1, and two substituents bonded to nitrogen atoms in an amide group are both R.sup.2.

A method for making chlorinated silazanes. The method comprises contacting: (a) a disilazane; (b) a chlorosilane; and (c) a catalyst which is a zinc salt of: (i) a sulfonic acid or (ii) a sulfonic acid imide.

Disclosed is a method for preparing an organic carboxylic ester by using a combined catalyst of an aryl bidentate phosphine ligand. The method includes subjecting a terminal olefin, carbon monoxide, and an alcohol to a hydroesterification reaction in the presence of a combined catalyst of a palladium compound, an aryl bidentate phosphine ligand, and an acidic additive, to generate an organic carboxylic ester having one more carbon atom than the terminal olefin.

A method for making chlorinated silazanes. The method comprises contacting: (a) a disilazane; (b) a chlorosilane; and (c) a catalyst which is a zinc salt of: (i) a sulfonic acid or (ii) a sulfonic acid imide.