Disclosed is a process for performing a chemical reaction selected from reductive amination and hydrogenation of a first functional group in an organic feed substrate, which feed substrate comprises at least one further functional group containing a halogen atom, wherein the halogen atom is selected from the list consisting of chlorine, bromine, iodine, and combinations thereof, in the presence of hydrogen and a heterogeneous catalyst comprising at least one metal from the list of Pd, Rh, and Ru, together with at least a second metal from the list consisting of Ag, Ni, Co, Sn, Cu and Au. The process is preferably applied for the reductive amination of 2-chloro-benzaldehyde to form 2-chloro-benzyldimethylamine, as an intermediate in the production of agrochemically active compounds and microbiocides of the methoximinophenylglyoxylic ester series. Further disclosed is a composition rich in 2-chloro-benzyldimethylamine, further comprising an amount of 2-chloro-benzyl alcohol and being low in chlorotoluene isomers.

Disclosed is a process for performing a chemical reaction selected from reductive amination and hydrogenation of a first functional group in an organic feed substrate, which feed substrate comprises at least one further functional group containing a halogen atom, wherein the halogen atom is selected from the list consisting of chlorine, bromine, iodine, and combinations thereof, in the presence of hydrogen and a heterogeneous catalyst comprising at least one metal from the list of Pd, Rh, and Ru, together with at least a second metal from the list consisting of Ag, Ni, Co, Sn, Cu and Au. The process is preferably applied for the reductive amination of 2-chloro-benzaldehyde to form 2-chloro-benzyldimethylamine, as an intermediate in the production of agrochemically active compounds and microbiocides of the methoximinophenylglyoxylic ester series. Further disclosed is a composition rich in 2-chloro-benzyldimethylamine, further comprising an amount of 2-chloro-benzyl alcohol and being low in chlorotoluene isomers.

The present invention relates to a novel process for the preparation of 9-dichloromethylene-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1,4-methano-naphthalen-5-ylamine which process comprises a) reacting cyclopentadiene in the presence of a radical initiator and CXCl.sub.3, wherein X is chloro or bromo, to a compound of formula II ##STR00001## aa) reacting cyclopentadiene with CXCl.sub.3, wherein X is chloro, in the presence of a metal catalyst to a compound of formula II ##STR00002## wherein X is chloro, b) reacting the compound of formula II with a base in the presence of an appropriate solvent to the compound of formula III ##STR00003## c) and converting the compound of formula III in the presence of 1,2-dehydro-6-nitrobenzene to the compound of formula IV ##STR00004## and d) hydrogenating the compound of formula IV in the presence of a metal catalyst.

The present invention relates to a novel process for the preparation of 9-dichloromethylene-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1,4-methano-naphthalen-5-ylamine which process comprises a) reacting cyclopentadiene in the presence of a radical initiator and CXCl.sub.3, wherein X is chloro or bromo, to a compound of formula II ##STR00001## aa) reacting cyclopentadiene with CXCl.sub.3, wherein X is chloro, in the presence of a metal catalyst to a compound of formula II ##STR00002## wherein X is chloro, b) reacting the compound of formula II with a base in the presence of an appropriate solvent to the compound of formula III ##STR00003## c) and converting the compound of formula III in the presence of 1,2-dehydro-6-nitrobenzene to the compound of formula IV ##STR00004## and d) hydrogenating the compound of formula IV in the presence of a metal catalyst.

The present invention is directed to reaction mixtures comprising a water-surfactant mixture and a co-solvent. This technology reduced the amount of organic solvents needed for performing chemical reactions. Furthermore, compared to reaction mixtures lacking the co-solvent, solvation of the reactants and products of the chemical reaction is greatly enhanced, leading to a significantly improved yield, purity, reproducibility and robustness.

The present invention is directed to reaction mixtures comprising a water-surfactant mixture and a co-solvent. This technology reduced the amount of organic solvents needed for performing chemical reactions. Furthermore, compared to reaction mixtures lacking the co-solvent, solvation of the reactants and products of the chemical reaction is greatly enhanced, leading to a significantly improved yield, purity, reproducibility and robustness.

A supported catalyst having rhodium particles with an average diameter of less than 1 nm disposed on a support material containing magnetic iron oxide (e.g. Fe.sub.3O.sub.4). A method of producing the supported catalyst and a process of reducing nitroarenes to corresponding aromatic amines employing the supported catalyst with a high product yield are also described. The supported catalyst may be recovered with ease using an external magnet and reused.

A supported catalyst having rhodium particles with an average diameter of less than 1 nm disposed on a support material containing magnetic iron oxide (e.g. Fe.sub.3O.sub.4). A method of producing the supported catalyst and a process of reducing nitroarenes to corresponding aromatic amines employing the supported catalyst with a high product yield are also described. The supported catalyst may be recovered with ease using an external magnet and reused.

Embodiments of the present disclosure feature an intrinsically microporous ladder-type Tröger's base polymer including a repeat unit based on a combination of W-shaped CANAL-type and V-shaped Tröger's base building blocks, methods of making the intrinsically microporous ladder-type Tröger's base polymer, and methods of using the intrinsically microporous ladder-type Tröger's base polymer to separate a chemical species from a fluid composition including a mixture of chemical species. Embodiments of the present disclosure further include ladder-type diamine monomers for reacting to form a Tröger's base in situ, and methods of making the ladder-type diamine monomers using catalytic arene-norbornene annulation.

The present invention generally relates to processes for the catalytic hydrogenation of halonitroaromatics. In particular, the present invention includes processes for the catalytic hydrogenation of halonitroaromatics such as 2,5-dicloronitrobenzene to 2,5-dichloroaniline over a platinum-containing catalyst. The present invention also relates to processes for producing 3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid.