Abstract: Butane is selectively oxidized to methylethylketone with a chromium-halogenated ligand coordination complex catalyst.

Abstract: Polyoxoanions are converted to the corresponding heteropolyacids by conversion to their tetrabutylammonium salt followed by pyrolysis.

Abstract: Hydrocarbons, and particularly lower molecular weight alkanes and cycloalkanes, may readily be oxidized with air or O.sub.2 to form such products as alcohols, ketones, and the like selectively high yields when there is employed as the catalyst a coordination complex containing an iron center and a halogenated ligand having the structure ##STR1## where Fe is iron; " .circle. " is a ligand; X is a halogen substituent of the ligand; and A is an anion.

Abstract: Alkanes are catalytically oxidized using site-specific framework substituted heteropolyacid or a polyoxoanion thereof.

Abstract: Hydrocarbons, and particularly lower molecular weight alkanes and cycloalkanes, may readily be oxidixed with air or O.sub.2 to form such products as alcohols, ketones, and the like selectively in high yields when there is employed as the catalyst a highly active azide-activated metal coordination complex having the structure ##STR1## where M is a transition metal; " " is a ligand; and X is azide. The invention is also directed to certain novel azide-activated metal coordination complex catalysts per se.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon, and particularly lower molecular weight alkanes and cycloalkanes, may readily be oxidized with air or O.sub.2 to form such products as alcohols, ketones, and the like in high yields when there is employed as the catalyst a highly active nitride-activated metal coordination complex having the structure ##STR1## where M is a transition metal; " " is a ligand; and X is a nitride. Certain dimeric forms of the above catalyst are also employed herein. It has also been discovered that Group IV through VIII transition metal nitrides are also highly effective oxidation catalysts for lower molecular weight hydrocarbons such as alkanes.

Abstract: Alkanes are oxidized in the liquid phase at relatively low temperatures using heteropolyacids or polyoxoanions promoted with azide or certain metals. Such azide catalysts are also part of the invention.

Abstract: Heteropolyacids or polyoxoanions promoted with azide, such as K.sub.6 PW.sub.11 VO.sub.40 N.sub.3, useful in the liquid phase oxidation of alkanes.

Abstract: The process for the acid-catalyzed reaction of acetone with methanol to form 2,2-dimethoxypropane may be significantly improved if a stoichiometric ratio of methanol/acetone is employed in the initial reaction.Of particular advantage is the use of stoichiometric amounts of reactants in order to (1) avoid the expense of using an excess of either reactant, and (2) facilitate the removal of the 2,2-dimethoxypropane as an azeotrope with the methanol, thereby avoiding costly and complex product recovery methods.

Abstract: Dimethoxycyclohexane, prepared by reacting cyclohexanone with methanol, may be recovered from the product mixture in substantially pure form by first adding water as an azeotropic agent to said mixture to form an azeotrope with unreacted cyclohexanone, removing said azeotrope by distillation, thereby leaving substantially pure dimethoxycyclohexane.

Abstract: Diethoxymethane (ethylal), prepared by reacting formaldehyde with ethanol, may be recovered from the product mixture in substantially pure form by first distilling off an azeotrope comprising ethanol and diethoxymethane, adding a selected solvent to the azeotrope which will form an azeotrope with the ethanol, distilling off said latter azeotrope and recovering the substantially pure diethoxymethane.

Abstract: Olefins are hydroformylated with syngas in the presence of a novel organo metallic complex catalyst to form the corresponding aldehydes at high reaction rates and improved selectivity of linear aldehydes over branched aldehydes.The novel catalyst comprises an organo metallic complex formed from a mixture of:(1) platinum (II) acetylacetonate;(2) a Group IVB metal halide; and(3) a bidentate tertiary ligand of the formula ##STR1## wherein Q is arsenic, antimony, or phosphorus; and R.sub.1, R.sub.2 R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are alkyl, alkoxyl, aryl, or aryloxyl groups, and may be the same or different; and m is an integer of from 3 to about 5; and n is an integer of from 2 to about 4.

Abstract: Olefins are hydroformylated with syngas in the presence of a novel organo metallic complex catalyst to form the corresponding aldehydes at high reaction rates and improved selectivity of linear aldehydes over branched aldehydes.The novel catalyst comprises an organo metallic complex formed from a mixture of:(1) platinum (II) acetylacetonate;(2) a Group IVB metal halide; and(3) a bidentate tertiary ligand of the formula ##STR1## wherein Q is arsenic, antimony, or phosphorus; and R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are alkyl, alkoxyl, aryl, or aryloxyl groups, and may be the same or different.

Abstract: Olefins are hydroformylated with syngas in the presence of a novel organometallic complex catalyst to form the corresponding aldehydes at high reaction rates and improved selectively of linear aldehydes over branched aldehydes.The novel catalyst comprises an organometallic complex formed from a mixture of(1) a platinum (O) complex containing two bidentate diphosphine, diarsine or distibine ligands; and(2) A Group IVB metal halide.

Abstract: Olefins are hydroformylated with syngas in the presence of a novel organo metallic complex catalyst to form the corresponding aldehydes at high reaction rates and improved selectivity of linear aldehydes over branched aldehydes.The novel catalyst comprises an organo metallic complex formed from a mixture of:(1) platinum (II) acetylacetonate;(2) a Group IVB metal halide; and(3) a bidentate tertiary ligand of the formula ##STR1## wherein Q is arsenic, antimony, or phosphorus; and R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are alkyl, alkoxyl, aryl, or aryloxyl groups, and may be the same or different.

Abstract: Olefins are hydroformylated with syngas in the presence of a novel organo metallic complex catalyst to form the corresponding aldehydes at high reaction rate and improved selectivity of linear aldehydes over branched aldehydes.The novel catalyst comprises an organo metallic complex formed from a mixture of:(1) platinum (II) acetylacetonate;(2) a Group IVB metal halide; and(3) a bidentate tertiary ligand of the formulaR.sub.1 R.sub.2 Q(CH.sub.2).sub.m QR.sub.3 R.sub.4 ; or ##STR1## wherein Q is arsenic, antimony, or phosphorus; and R.sub.1,R.sub.2,R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are alkyl, alkoxyl, aryl, or aryloxyl groups, and may be the same or different; and m is an integer of from 3 to about 5; and n is an integer of from 2 to about 4.

Abstract: Olefins are hydroformylated with syngas in the presence of a novel organometallic complex catalyst to form the corresponding aldehydes at high reaction rates and improved selectively of linear aldehydes over branched aldehydes.The novel catalyst comprises an organometallic complex formed from a mixture of(1) a platinum (O) complex containing two bidentate diphosphine, diarsine or distibine ligands; and(2) A Group IVB metal halide.

Abstract: Hydroformylation process for preparing aldehydes by reactively contacting an olefin and syngas, at elevated temperature and pressure, in the presence of a catalyst comprising a mixture of (1) a platinum complex of the formula Pt(QR.sub. 3).sub.m where Q is a Group VA element, R is alkyl, alkoxyl, aryl or aryloxyl and m is an integer of from 2 to 4, and (2) a metal halide of the formula MX.sub.n where M is a Group IVB metal, X is a halogen and n is 2 or 4.