Abstract: The present invention relates to novel hydroxyl compounds, compositions comprising hydroxyl compounds, and methods useful for treating and preventing a variety of diseases and conditions such as, but not limited to aging, Alzheimer's Disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetic nephropathy, diabetic retinopathy, a disorder of glucose metabolism, dyslipidemia, dyslipoproteinemia, hypertension, impotence, inflammation, insulin resistance, lipid elimination in bile, obesity, oxysterol elimination in bile, pancreatitis, pancreatitius, Parkinson's disease, a peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-associated disorder, phospholipid elimination in bile, renal disease, septicemia, metabolic syndrome disorders (e.g., Syndrome X), thrombotic disorder. Compounds and methods of the invention can also be used to modulate C reactive protein or enhance bile production in a patient.

Abstract: The present invention relates to chiral salen catalysts and a process for preparing chiral compounds from racemic epoxides by using them. More particularly, the present invention is to provide chiral salen catalysts and its use for producing chiral compounds such as chiral epoxides and chiral 1,2-diols economically in high yield and high optical purity by performing stereoselective hydrolysis of racemic epoxides, wherein the chiral salen catalyst comprises a cationic cobalt as a center metal of chiral salen ligand and counterions having weak nucleophilic property to resolve disadvantages associated with conventional chiral salen catalysts, and can be used continuously without any activating process of used catalysts because it does not loose a catalytic activity during the reaction process.

Abstract: A process for the production of an epoxide and/or its corresponding vicinal diol by a reaction of an olefinic compound with hydrogen peroxide, wherein the reaction is performed in the presence of a carbon dioxide phase at a temperature and a pressure above the critical point of carbon dioxide.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods for converting lower alkanes and alkenes to the corresponding lower alkanols and diols. In the methods of the present invention, a gaseous halogen, preferably bromine, is produced by decomposing a metal halide in a liquid having a melting point below and a boiling point above the decomposition temperature of the metal halide. The preferred liquid is molten, hydrated ferric chloride maintained at a temperature between about 37-280.degree. C. The lower alkane or alkene is halogenated in a gas phase reaction with the produced halogen. The alkyl halide or alkyl dihalide is contacted with a metal hydroxide, preferably an aqueous solution of ferric hydroxide, to regenerate the metal halide and produce the corresponding lower alkanol or diol. The present invention is particularly efficient for converting methane to methanol using ferric bromide to provide the halogen.

Abstract: Lower monobasic or dibasic alcohols are produced by the following steps:a) reacting a starting material with a metallic halide (wherein the metal is in the higher of two possible valence states) to obtain a reaction product, a corresponding metallous halide (wherein the metal is in the lower of the two possible valence states) and hydrohalic acid, andb) reacting the reaction product of step (a) and hydrohalic acid with magnesium oxide to form the corresponding lower monobasic or dibasic alkanol;wherein the starting material for forming a lower monobasic alcohol is a lower alkane, from which the corresponding lower alkanol is obtained; and the starting material for forming a lower dibasic alcohol is either a lower alkanol or a lower alkene, from which the corresponding lower glycol is obtained. Two continuous fluidized-bed systems are provided for conducting the necessary reactions.

Abstract: Novel vicinal dioxyalkylene organometalates comprising a cation having a hydrocarbyl-containing substituent are disclosed. The vicinal dioxyalkylene organometalates can be reacted with water to yield alkylene glycols.

Abstract: The level of impurities such as glycerol-based acetals and/or ketals in glycerine, particularly glycerol-dimethylketal, is reduced by extraction of the glycerine with supercritical or near critical carbon dioxide.

Abstract: A reagent comprising the product of the reaction of an alkali metal hydroxide with a polyglycol or a polyglycol monoalkyl ether and oxygen, effects complete decomposition of halogenated organic compounds, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), when mixed therewith in the presence of oxygen.

Abstract: Glycols are readily and conveniently prepared by hydrolysis of halohydrins and/or dihaloalkanes in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of a strong acid.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of 2-bromoalkyl esters and vicinal glycol esters which comprises thermally decomposing at temperatures of from 100.degree. C. to 200.degree. C. an organic bromoalkyl tellurium compound selected from 2-bromoalkyltellurium tribromide or bis(2-bromoalkyl)tellurium dibromide, wherein the alkyl group is ethyl, propyl or butyl, in a carboxylic acid having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms which is employed as solvent as well as to supply the ester moiety to the esters produced. The esters may be converted to the respective glycol with water or an aqueous base.

Abstract: Minor amounts of olefin oxide such as butylene oxide are removed from a chlorinated solvent by contacting the solvent with the hydrogen form of a strong acid cation exchange resin in the presence of water.