Abstract: Processes for the production of acetic acid by carbonylation of methanol and reactive derivatives thereof in a liquid phase reaction medium, wherein the reaction medium comprises a finite amount of water, a homogeneous catalyst, an alkyl halide promoter, and a catalyst stabilizer/co-promoter comprising an imidazolium cation R1R2Im+ as an iodide salt, wherein R1 and R2 are each independently a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or cycloalkyl, with the proviso that R1 and R2 are not the same.

Abstract: Processes for the production of acetic acid by carbonylation of methanol and reactive derivatives thereof in a liquid phase reaction medium, wherein the reaction medium comprises a finite amount of water, a homogeneous catalyst, an alkyl halide promoter, and a catalyst stabilizer/co-promoter comprising an imidazolium cation R1R2Im+ as an iodide salt, wherein R1 and R2 are each independently a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or cycloalkyl, with the proviso that R1 and R2 are not the same.

Abstract: This invention relates to a solid divided composition comprising grains whose mean size is greater than 25 ?m and less than 2.5 mm, wherein each grain is provided with a solid porous core and a homogeneous continuous metal layer consisting of at least one type of transition non-oxidised metal and extending along a gangue coating the core in such a way that pores are inaccessible. A method for the production of said composition and for the use thereof in the form of a solid catalyst is also disclosed.

Abstract: This invention relates to a solid divided composition comprising grains whose mean size is greater than 25 ?m and less than 2.5 mm, wherein each grain is provided with a solid porous core and a homogeneous continuous metal layer consisting of at least one type of transition non-oxidised metal and extending along a gangue coating the core in such a way that pores are inaccessible. A method for the production of said composition and for the use thereof in the form of a solid catalyst is also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for selectively producing nanotubes made of carbon ordered by decomposing a gaseous carbon source in contact with at least one solid catalyst in the form of catalyst grains which are made of an alumina porous support provided with a metallic ferrous non-oxidised deposit and whose mean grain-size ranges from 25 ?m to 2.5 mm and on which said metallic ferrous deposit covers more than 75% of the surface of the microscopic alumina support and is embodied in the form of at least one cluster formed by a plurality of metallic agglutinated bulbs.

Abstract: The invention relates to a continuous process for the manufacture of acetic acid and/or methyl acetate, characterized in that, during the continuous operation of the installation for a continuous industrial process, called the initial process, for the carbonylation of methanol or a carbonylatable derivative of methanol such as dimethyl ether, methyl halides or methyl acetate, in the homogeneous liquid phase and under carbon monoxide pressure, in the presence of a catalyst system comprising a rhodium-based homogeneous catalyst and a halogenated promoter, and in the presence of a concentration of water greater than or equal to 14% in the reaction medium, the composition of said homogeneous catalyst is modified gradually by adding an iridium compound over time.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of acetic acid and/or methyl acetate in the liquid phase by the carbonylation of methanol and/or the isomerization of methyl formate in the presence of water, a solvent, a homogeneous catalyst system comprising iridium and a halogen-containing promoter, and carbon monoxide, wherein said catalyst system also comprises platinum.

Abstract: The invention relates to a continuous process for the manufacture of acetic acid and/or methyl acetate, characterized in that, during the continuous operation of the installation for a continuous industrial process, called the initial process, for the carbonylation of methanol or a carbonylatable derivative of methanol such as dimethyl ether, methyl halides or methyl acetate, in the homogeneous liquid phase and under carbon monoxide pressure, in the presence of a catalyst system comprising a rhodium-based homogeneous catalyst and a halogenated promoter, and in the presence of a concentration of water greater than or equal to 14% in the reaction medium, the composition of said homogeneous catalyst is modified gradually by adding an iridium compound over time.

Abstract: Diesters of hexene-1,6-dioic acids are prepared by reacting at least one 1,2-dialkoxy-3-butene with carbon monoxide in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of a palladium-based catalyst and a halogen compound, in liquid phase, at elevated temperature and at superatmospheric pressure.

Abstract: The hexene-1,6-dioic acids, e.g., hex-3-ene-1,6-dioic acid, are prepared by reacting carbon monoxide and water with at least one diacyloxylated butene, in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of palladium and at least one quaternary onium chloride of one of the Group VB elements nitrogen or phosphorus, such element being tetracoordinated via carbon atoms and with the proviso that such nitrogen atom may be coordinated to two pentavalent phosphorus atoms.

Abstract: Diesters of hexene-1,6-dioic acid are efficiently and selectively prepared by reacting carbon monoxide and an alcohol with at least one diacyloxylated butene compound, in the presence of (a) a catalytically effective amount of a palladium-based catalyst and (b) a quaternary onium chloride or bromide of nitrogen or phosphorus.

Abstract: Novel dinuclear and water-soluble rhodium complexes, well suited as hydroformylation catalysts, as are aqueous solutions thereof, have the general formula: ##STR1## in which R and R', which are identical or different, are each a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon radical, with the proviso that R and R' may together form a single divalent radical, TAPS is a sulfonated triarylphosphine ligand, and L is a carbonyl (CO) or a TAPS ligand.

Abstract: Novel dinuclear and water-soluble rhodium complexes, well suited as hydroformylation catalysts, as are aqueous solutions thereof, have the general formula: ##STR1## in which R and R', which are identical or different, are each a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon radical, with the proviso that R and R' may together form a single divalent radical, TAPS is a sulfonated triarylphosphine ligand, and L is a carbonyl (CO) or a TAPS ligand.

Abstract: The present invention relates to hydrogenation and hydroformylation catalysts based on a binuclear rhodium complex having the formula: ##STR1## wherein X and X' can be the same or different; when X and X' are the same they are organic tertiary phosphite groups and when different X is a CO group and X' is an organic tertiary phosphite group or an aromatic phosphine group, and SY and SY' are thiolato groups. The invention also comprises the processes of hydroformylation and hydrogenation using such catalytic complex.