The invention relates to monocarbonyl complexes of ruthenium and osmium with bi- and tridentate nitrogen and phosphine ligands. The invention relates to methods for preparing these complexes and the use of these complexes, isolated or prepared in situ, as catalysts for reduction reactions of ketones and aldehydes both via transfer hydrogenation or hydrogenation with hydrogen.

A method for producing an olefin oligomer is disclosed, in which an olefin oligomerization reaction is performed in the presence of an olefin oligomerization catalyst comprising (A) a chromium compound, (B) an amine compound of the general formula (1): ##STR00001##
(R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 represent a group such as a hydrocarbon group, Y represents a structure represented by —CR.sup.5R.sup.6—, R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 represent a group such as a hydrogen atom, and Z represents an integer of 1 to 10),
and (C) a compound such as an organometal compound; and the olefin oligomerization catalyst.

The present invention relates to a method of preparing an oxidatively curable coating formulation made from an oxidatively curable alkyd-based resin, a complex comprising one or more manganese ions and one or more triazacyclononane-based ligands; and to the use of triazacyclononane-based ligands for accelerating the rate of curing of an alkyd-based resin formulation by such complexes. The formulations may be paints or other oxidatively curable coating compositions.

Described herein are catalytic hydrogenation and the use of ruthenium complexes having a bidentate diphosphine ligand or two monodentate phosphine ligands, two carboxylate ligands, and optionally a diamine ligand in hydrogenation processes for the reduction of imines into the corresponding amines.

The present invention relates to a method of degrading biofilm by contacting it with an aqueous mixture comprising a peroxide compound and a manganese complex, wherein the aqueous mixture comprises a macrocylic ligand. The invention also relates to a method of degrading a biofilm by contacting it with an aqueous mixture comprising a peroxide compound and a macrocyclic ligand.

A catalytic process for synthesizing an ester compound, and a catalytic process for synthesizing an amide compound, wherein a solid-supported palladium catalyst is used to catalyze an alkoxycarbonylation reaction of an aryl halide to form the ester compound, or to catalyze an aminocarbonylation reaction of an aryl halide to form the amide compound. Various embodiments of each of the processes are also provided.

The present invention relates to air stable, binary Ni(0)-olefin complexes and their use in organic synthesis.

Improved catalytic methods are disclosed. The methods include both hydrogenation and disproportionation catalysis. While the reaction conditions for hydrogenation and disproportionation differ, the catalysts disclosed herein can be used for either process. In certain aspects, the methods utilize a catalyst: CpM(N—N)L.sub.n; wherein Cp is a substituted or unsubstituted cyclopentadienyl ligand; wherein M is selected from the group consisting of Ir and Rh; wherein N—N is a substituted or unsubstituted bidentate ligand selected from the group consisting of a bipyridine ligand and a phenanthroline ligand; wherein n is 0 or 1; and wherein when n is 1 L is selected from the group consisting of an anion and a molecule of a solvent.

A compound, e g a diamine ligand, represented by the following general formula (1): (Formula (1)) wherein each * represents an asymmetric carbon atom; X represents a group selected from one of an ester (e.g. a t-butyl ester); a thioester; an amide; a heterocyclic moiety (e.g. a five-membered heterocyclic ring) comprising one or more of O, S, Se, and/or P (e.g. a furan, a tetrahydrofuran, a thiophene, an isoxazole, a bromo-furan, or a thiazole); a moiety (e.g. a five-membered heterocyclic ring) comprising a nitrogen atom, wherein the nitrogen atom is protected with a protecting group containing an electron-withdrawing group, preferably the protecting group is selected from one of a carbamate protecting group, an amide protecting group, an aryl sulphonamide protecting group, or an alkyl sulphonamide protecting group; and optionally X may additionally comprise a solid support, e.g. a polymeric or a silica particle; Y represents or is CtT′T″ where ‘t’ is 0 or 1 and when ‘t’ is 1 T′ and T″ may individually represent a substituent, e.g. if t is 1, T′ and/or T″ may each be hydrogen or deuterium atom, or a halogen atom; for example, Y may represent a carbon atom comprising two further substituents; Z represents a hydrogen atom or a deuterium atom; R.sup.1 represents an alkyl group (e.g. a functionalised alkyl group) preferably having between 1 to 100 carbon atoms, for example, between 1 to 30 carbon atoms (e.g. 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or 1 to 10 carbon atoms), a halogenated alkyl group preferably having between 1 to 100 carbon atoms (e.g. CF.sub.3), for example, between 1 to 30 carbon atoms (e.g. 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or 1 to 10 carbon atoms), an aryl group preferably having between 5 to 100 carbon atoms, e.g. 6 to 30 carbon atoms and optionally having one or more substituents selected from alkyl groups preferably having 1 to 100 carbon atoms, e.g. 1 to 10 carbon atoms, halogenated alkyl groups preferably having 1 to 100 carbon atoms, e.g. 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and/or halogen atoms; or R.sup.1 represents a solid support, e.g. a silica particle or a polymeric particle; R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 each independently represent a group selected from alkyl groups preferably having between 1 to 100 carbon atoms, for example 1 to 20 carbon atoms (e.g. 1 to 10 carbon atoms), aryl groups (e.g. phenyl groups), and cycloalkyl groups preferably having 3 to 8 carbon atoms, the aryl group or phenyl group optionally having one or more substituents selected from alkyl groups preferably having between 1 to 100 carbon atoms, e.g. between 1 to 20 carbon atoms (e.g. 1 to 10 carbon atoms), alkoxy groups preferably having between 1 to 100 carbon atoms, for example, between 1

The present invention discloses a diphenylamine-linked chiral bis(oxazoline) ligand without C.sub.2-symmetry of formula 3 and its synthesis method and application in an asymmetric catalytic reaction, wherein C.sub.2-symmetry is lost by introducing different groups into the diphenylamine backbone to realize precise control of “electronic effect” of the ligand backbone. An anthranilic acid derivative and an orthochlorobenzoic acid derivative are used as starting materials to prepare a compound of formula 1, and then the compound of formula 1 is reacted with a chiral amino alcohol compound to prepare a β-bishydroxy amide compound of formula 2, and the compound of formula 2 is further subjected to condensation to obtain the diphenylamine-linked chiral bis(oxazoline) ligand without C.sub.2-symmetry of formula 3. The present invention also provides an application of a catalyst formed by coordination of the diphenylamine-linked chiral bis(oxazoline) ligand without C.sub.2-symmetry with copper salt, zinc salt, nickel salt, iron salt or rhodium salt, in an asymmetric catalytic reaction.

##STR00001##