Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to the production of fuels, gasoline additives, and/or lubricants, and precursors thereof. The compounds used to produce the fuels, gasoline additives, and/or lubricants, and precursors thereof may be derived from biomass. The fuels, gasoline additives, and/or lubricants, and precursors thereof may be produced by a combination of intermolecular and/or intramolecular aldol condensation reactions, Guerbet reactions, hydrogenation reactions, and/or oligomerization reactions.

Abstract: The discovery of distinct modes of asymmetric catalysis has the potential to rapidly advance chemists' ability to build enantioenriched molecules. As an example, the use of chiral cation salts as phase-transfer catalysts for anionic reagents has enabled a vast set of enantioselective transformations. A largely overlooked analogous mechanism wherein a chiral anionic catalyst brings a cationic species into solution is itself a powerful method. The concept is broadly applicable to a number of different reaction pathways, including to the enantioselective fluorocyclization of olefins, and dearomatization of aromatic systems with a cationic electrophile-transferring (e.g., fluorinating) agent and a chiral phosphate catalyst. The reactions proceed in high yield and stereoselectivity. The compounds and methods of the invention are of particular value, especially considering the scarcity of alternative approaches.

Abstract: The invention pertains to the use of Group 8 transition metal carbene complexes as catalysts for olefin cross-metathesis reactions. In particular, ruthenium and osmium alkylidene complexes substituted with an N-heterocyclic carbene ligand are used to catalyze cross-metathesis reactions to provide a variety of substituted and functionalized olefins, including phosphonate-substituted olefins, directly halogenated olefins, 1,1,2-trisubstituted olefins, and quaternary allylic olefins. The invention further provides a method for creating functional diversity using the aforementioned complexes to catalyze cross-metathesis reactions of a first olefinic reactant, which may or may not be substituted with a functional group, with each of a plurality of different olefinic reactants, which may or may not be substituted with functional groups, to give a plurality of structurally distinct olefinic products.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods to produce ketones suitable for use as fuels and lubricants by catalytic conversion of an acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation product mixture that can be derived from biomass.

Abstract: Methods are provided for carrying out nucleophilic addition reactions using oxo, sulfido or amido complexes of transition metals as reaction catalysts. Exemplary catalysts are oxo complexes of Group 7 transition metals, with rhenium (V) oxo complexes, including dioxo complexes, preferred. Nucleophilic addition reactions that can be catalyzed using the present methods include silylation, hydrosilylation, hydroamination, silylmetalation, carbometalation, aldol reactions, hydro- and carbometalation initiated cyclization/polymerization, and epoxide/aziridine opening. The invention also pertains to novel transition metal complexes that have utility in catalyzing such reactions.

Abstract: A method is provided for synthesizing substituted alkynes from an alkyne reactant and a nucleophile using rhenium (V) oxo complex as a catalyst. The alkyne reactant is substituted at the propargylic position with a leaving group susceptible to displacement by the nucleophile in a nucleophilic substitution reaction. The method involves contacting the alkyne reactant with a nucleophilic reactant in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of the rhenium (V) oxo complex. The method does not require activation of the leaving group or ionization of the nucleophilic reactant, and may be carried out in the presence of air and moisture. The invention is useful in synthesizing propargyl ethers, propargyl amines, and the like.

Abstract: The invention pertains to the use of Group 8 transition metal carbene complexes as catalysts for olefin cross-metathesis reactions. In particular, ruthenium and osmium alkylidene complexes substituted with an N-heterocyclic carbene ligand are used to catalyze cross-metathesis reactions to provide a variety of substituted and functionalized olefins, including phosphonate-substituted olefins, directly halogenated olefins, 1,1,2-trisubstituted olefins, and quaternary allylic olefins. The invention further provides a method for creating functional diversity using the aforementioned complexes to catalyze cross-metathesis reactions of a first olefinic reactant, which may or may not be substituted with a functional group, with each of a plurality of different olefinic reactants, which may or may not be substituted with functional groups, to give a plurality of structurally distinct olefinic products.

Abstract: Methods are provided for carrying out nucleophilic addition reactions using oxo, sulfido or amido complexes of transition metals as reaction catalysts. Exemplary catalysts are oxo complexes of Group 7 transition metals, with rhenium (V) oxo complexes, including dioxo complexes, preferred. Nucleophilic addition reactions that can be catalyzed using the present methods include silylation, hydrosilylation, hydroamination, silylmetalation, carbometalation, aldol reactions, hydro- and carbometalation initiated cyclization/polymerization, and epoxide/aziridine opening. The invention also pertains to novel transition metal complexes that have utility in catalyzing such reactions.

Abstract: The invention pertains to the use of Group 8 transition metal carbene complexes as catalysts for olefin cross-metathesis reactions. In particular, ruthenium and osmium alkylidene complexes substituted with an N-heterocyclic carbene ligand are used to catalyze cross-metathesis reactions to provide a variety of substituted and functionalized olefins, including phosphonate-substituted olefins, directly halogenated olefins, 1,1,2-trisubstituted olefins, and quaternary allylic olefins. The invention further provides a method for creating functional diversity using the aforementioned complexes to catalyze cross-metathesis reactions of a first olefinic reactant, which may or may not be substituted with a functional group, with each of a plurality of different olefinic reactants, which may or may not be substituted with functional groups, to give a plurality of structurally distinct olefinic products.