Abstract: A method for preparing a liquid extract rich in phycocyanin from cyanobacteria or microalgae containing phycocyanin in solution, comprising a step of carrying out the cellular lysis of an aqueous suspension of said fresh cyanobacteria or microalgae, a step of macerating the lysate obtained, for several hours in a solution of divalent cations, while releasing the water-soluble molecules in the extracellular space, and one or more steps of clarifying and concentrating the suspension in order to isolate the water-soluble molecules, among them phycocyanin. This method is performed at a pH between 5 and 8.5, at room temperature, without drying.

Abstract: The alkyl adipates are prepared by reacting admixture consisting essentially of alkyl 3-pentenoate and alkyl 2-pentenoate with carbon monoxide and an alcohol, at elevated temperature, under superatmospheric pressure and in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of cobalt or a cobalt compound and a nitrogenous heterocyclic base.

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: .beta., .gamma.-Unsaturated carboxylic acids, e.g., 3-hexene-1,6-dioic acid, are selectively prepared by carbonylating (with carbon monoxide) an allyl alcohol, e.g., a butenediol, at an elevated temperature and under superatmospheric pressure, in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of a palladium-based catalyst 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: 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: .beta.,.gamma.-Unsaturated carboxylic acids are facilely prepared by carbonylating a conjugated diene with carbon monoxide in the presence of (i) water, (ii) a halogenated hydracid, (iii) a palladium catalyst comprising palladium metal or supported palladium metal, a palladium oxide, or a complex salt of palladium, the anion coordinated to the palladium cation of which comprising a hard or borderline base, and (iv) a quaternary onium salt of nitrogen, phosphorus or arsenic, said N, P or As being tetra-coordinated to a carbon atom, the anion of which comprising a hard or borderline base.

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: Essentially pure tri-(m-sulfophenyl)-phosphine, well suited as a ligand for the formation of, e.g., rhodium-based olefin hydroformylation catalysts, is facilely prepared by (i) sulfonating triphenylphosphine with oleum, H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 /SO.sub.3, wherein the temperature of sulfonation ranges from 15.degree. to about 25.degree. C., the molar ratio of SO.sub.3 /triphenylphosphine is at least 8, and the amount by weight of SO.sub.3 in the mixture (SO.sub.3 +H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 +triphenylphosphine) at the beginning of said sulfonation reaction is at least 33%; and (ii) thence terminating said sulfonation reaction via hydrolysis of the reaction mixture.

Abstract: The invention provides novel sulphonated chiral phosphines of the formula: ##STR1## in which R represents an alkyl radical, a cycloalkyl radical optionally substituted with an alkyl radical, a cycloalkylalkyl radical optionally substituted with an alkyl radical, a phenyl, phenylalkyl, binaphthyl or binaphthylalkyl radical, in which the alkyl, cycloalkyl, phenyl and binaphthyl radicals, and the alkyl portions of the other radicals, can be substituted by a radical of general formula: ##STR2## R.sub.1 represents an alkyl, cycloalkyl, phenyl, or phenylalkyl radical, Ar represents a phenyl or naphthyl radical, m.sup.+ represents a proton or alkali metal ion or alkaline earth metal ion, m=1 or 2, n=0, 1 or 2, p=1 or 2, (p+m) .ltoreq.3, and R and R.sub.1 can be chiral or achiral. These chiral phosphines form water-soluble metal complexes useful as catalysts in asymmetric organic synthesis.

Abstract: Linear esters, e.g., alkyl adipates, are facilely prepared by reacting an alcohol and carbon monoxide with a monoolefin, in the presence of cobalt, optionally hydrogen, and a tertiary nitrogen base, and in a reaction solvent which comprises a 5- or 6-membered monoheterocycle containing from 1 to 3 identical or different, non-adjacent oxygen and divalent sulfur heteroatoms, with the proviso that such heterocycle can also contain from one to two carbon-carbon double bonds, and, if a 5-membered heterocycle, can also contain a nitrogen heteroatom separated from an oxygen or sulfur heteroatom by at least one ring carbon atom and linked to one of the adjacent carbon atoms by a double bond.

Abstract: Palladium values are separated from the products of reaction resulting from the carbonylation of a conjugated diene with carbon monoxide in the presence of an alcohol, a halogenated hydracid and a palladium catalyst, by (i) contacting the carbonylation reaction medium with a nitrogen, phosphorus or arsenic quaternary onium salt, a polar alcohol and an apolar, aliphatic or cycloaliphatic hydrocarbon solvent, and permitting the resulting admixture to phase separate into an alcohol phase and an organic phase; (ii) decanting/separating said alcohol phase from said organic phase; (iii) recovering the palladium values and the quaternary onium salt from said alcohol phase; and (iv) recovering the products of carbonylation from said organic phase.

Abstract: Esters, e.g., alkyl adipates, are facilely prepared by carbonylation among an alcohol, carbon monoxide and a monoolefin, e.g., an alkyl pentenoate, in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of cobalt and a tertiary nitrogen base, and optionally hydrogen, said reaction being carried out in an aromatic hydrocarbon reaction medium bearing from 1 to 3 nuclear substituents, and said substituents comprising cyano or a radical of the formula R--Y-- having up to 20 carbon atoms, wherein Y is a direct valence bond, an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, a carbonyl group or a carbonyloxy group (--CO--O--), with R being bonded to the oxygen of the group --CO--O--, and R is alkyl, aralkyl or or aryl, or a cyano substituted such R--Y-- radical, or a radical R--Y-- which includes one of the divalent bridges --O--, --CO-- or --CO--O-- along its skeletal carbon chain, with the proviso that at least one of said substituents is either cyano or a radical R--Y-- wherein Y is other than a direct valence bond.

Abstract: Alkyl adipates are prepared by reacting an alcohol and carbon monoxide with an alkyl pentenoate in the presence of (i) a catalytically effective amount of a cobalt catalyst, (ii) a tertiary nitrogen base, and (iii) hydrogen, with the hydrogen comprising at least 0.1% by volume of the carbon monoxide, and said reaction being carried out in (iv) an aromatic hydrocarbon or substituted aromatic hydrocarbon reaction medium.

Abstract: Linear saturated diesters, e.g., dialkyl adipates, are prepared by carbonylating an .alpha.,.beta.-unsaturated ester, e.g., an alkyl pent-2-enoate, with carbon monoxide and an alcohol, in the presence of a cobalt catalyst and a tertiary nitrogen-containing base.

Abstract: Esters of .beta.,.gamma.-unsaturated carboxylic acids are prepared by (i) carbonylating a conjugated diene with carbon monoxide in the presence of an alcohol, a halogenated hydracid and a palladium catalyst; (ii) distilling the carbonylation reaction product in the presence of an ammonium, phosphonium or arsonium quaternary onium chloride or bromide having a melting point below the temperature at which the carbonylation reaction is carried out, and at a temperature and pressure such that said reaction product separates into a gaseous phase and a homogeneous liquid phase; (iii) recovering said gaseous phase comprising the ester of the .beta.,.gamma.

Abstract: Esters of .beta.,.gamma.-unsaturated carboxylic acids, e.g., penten-3-oates, are prepared by carbonylating a necessarily conjugated diene, e.g., butadiene, with carbon monoxide, in the presence of (i) an alcohol corresponding to the desired ester, (ii) a halogen hydracid, (iii) a palladium catalyst which comprises palladium metal, a palladium oxide, or a salt of palladium, or ionic complex thereof, the anion coordinated with the palladium cation of which being a hard or intermediate base, and (iv) a quaternary onium salt of elemental nitrogen, phosphorus or arsenic, said elemental nitrogen, phosphorus or arsenic being tetracoordinated with carbon atoms and the anion of said salt comprising a hard or intermediate base.

Abstract: Organic esters, e.g., linear esters, including diesters, are prepared by carbonylating a monoolefin with carbon monoxide and an alcohol in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of a catalyst comprising cobalt, a tertiary amine base and ruthenium.