Abstract: A novel process for producing oxygen-containing organic compounds with high selectivity and good yield by oxidizing organic compounds under mild conditions is provided, which process comprises using as a catalyst for the oxidation, a complex (M.sub.m X.sub.n.L.sub.l) consisting of a transition metal compound (M.sub.m X.sub.n) and an organic phosphorous compound (L) as a ligand, wherein M represents a transition metal belonging to group I, group IV.about.VII or iron group in group VIII of the periodic table; X represents an anion such as a halogen; ligand L represents an organic phosphorous compound; and m and n mean a number of the atomic valence of said transition metal (ion) M and said anion X, respectively, and l means a number of said ligand.

Abstract: A process for producing methyl ethyl ketone selectively and with a high yield by oxygen-oxidizing 1-butene under mild conditions is provided, which process is characterized by using a composite catalyst containing a complex (MmXn.Ll) capable of forming an oxygen complex by coordination of the complex with oxygen and a complex catalyst (M'm'Xn'.L'l') capable of forming a 1-butene complex by coordination of the complex with 1-butene, wherein M represents a specified transition metal such as Cu; X, an anion; L, an organic phosphorus compound as ligand; M', a specified transition metal such as palladium; L', a nitrile, organic fluorine or phosphorus compound as ligand; m, m', n and n', each a number determined by the valences of the transition metals and the anion; l and l', each the number of ligands.

Abstract: A process for producing acetone selectively and with a high yield by oxidizing propylene by means of the combined oxygen in an oxygen complex under milder conditions and at a single stage is provided wherein a composite catalyst comprising as catalyst components, a transition metal complex with the metal ion of which oxygen molecule can coordinate to form an oxygen complex, and another kind transition metal complex with the metal ion of which propylene can coordinate to form a propylene complex is employed, and propylene activated by the complex formation is oxidized by the combined oxygen activated by the complex formation to thereby obtain acetone.

Abstract: A process for producing acetaldehyde from ethylene under mild reaction conditions, selectively and with high yield is provided, which process comprises preparing a composite catalyst comprising a complex of a transition metal capable of forming an oxygen complex by coordination of oxygen molecule with the metal ion of the transition metal, and a complex of a transition metal capable of forming an ethylene complex by coordination of ethylene with the metal ion of the transition metal, and oxidizing ethylene activated by forming the ethylene complex with the combined oxygen in the oxygen complex, activated by forming the oxygen complex.