A method for producing a heterogeneous catalyst for use of synthesizing cyclic carbonates by reacting an epoxide and carbon dioxide in the presence of the catalyst. A method for making a catalyst that includes forming a catalyst precursor then reacting the catalyst precursor with a tertiary phosphine.

The invention concerns a catalyst comprising a support based on alumina or silica or silica-alumina, at least one element selected from group VIII and/or group VIB, and at least one catecholamine. The invention also concerns the process for the preparation of said catalyst and its use in a hydrotreatment and/or hydrocracking process.

The invention relates to bismuth perfluoroalkylphosphinates as Lewis acid catalysts, the compounds, and processes for the preparation thereof.

Ar.sub.xBi[OP(O)(R.sub.f).sub.2].sub.3-x(Ia),

Ar.sub.3Bi[OP(O)(R.sub.f).sub.2].sub.2(Ib).

A method for easily producing a heterogeneous catalyst having excellent catalytic activity at a low cost is provided. The heterogeneous catalyst is used for the purpose of synthesizing a cyclic carbonate by reacting an epoxide and carbon dioxide. A catalyst obtained by this production method and a method for synthesizing a cyclic carbonate with use of this catalyst are also provided.

Disclosed herein is a method for producing silica gel-immobilized phosphonium salt catalysts including the steps of (a) reacting a silane compound with a silica gel in the presence of xylene, to obtain a catalyst precursor having a haloalkyl group or a haloaryl group, wherein the silane compound has a haloalkyl group or a haloaryl group, and a proportion of the silane compound is from 0.001 to 0.06 mol relative to 1 mol of the silica gel, and (b) reacting the catalyst precursor with a tertiary phosphine in xylene, to obtain a catalyst for synthesizing a cyclic carbonate, in which the silane compound is represented by formula (1), and the tertiary phosphine is represented by formula (2):
XR.sup.1Si(OR.sup.2).sub.3(1) ##STR00001##

Provided is a method for producing a cyclic carbonate obtained by reacting epoxide and carbon dioxide in the presence of a quaternary onium salt as a counter ion or a quaternary phosphonium salt having a halogenated anion as a counter ion, or in the presence of a solid catalyst obtained by immobilizing the quaternary onium salt onto a carrier, wherein an organohalogen compound containing at least one halogen atom in one molecule is added to the reaction system.

Provided is a method for continuously producing a cyclic carbonate, by which generation of a glycol in a reaction for synthesizing a cyclic carbonate is suppressed, and a cyclic carbonate having a high purity can be efficiently obtained even by simple purification. A method for continuously producing a cyclic carbonate, including filling a catalyst in a fixed-bed tube reactor, and continuously feeding carbon dioxide and an epoxide to the fixed-bed tube reactor to thereby bringing the carbon dioxide and the epoxide into contact with the catalyst, while continuously withdrawing the reaction liquid in the fixed-bed tube reactor, wherein the method includes a pre-treatment step in which a pre-treatment liquid containing a cyclic carbonate is brought into contact with the catalyst before feeding the carbon dioxide and the epoxide to the fixed-bed tube reactor, and the generated glycol is removed out of the system.