Abstract: The present invention relates to the fields of chemistry and pharmaceuticals. Embodiments of the present invention provide transition metal complexes of amino acids. Transition metal complexes of embodiments of the invention according to Categories I, II, III, and/or IV may be used as antimicrobial, anti-malarial, and anti-cancer agents, as well as catalysts in chemical reactions. Such compounds of the invention are particularly useful for combating multi-drug resistance against a broad range of microbials (such as MRSA and mycobacteria), including gram positive and gram negative bacteria, as well as can be used as anti-cancer agents against bladder cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, rectal cancer, endometrial cancer, kidney cancer, leukemia, lung cancer, melanoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, and thyroid cancer, to name a few.

Abstract: Certain triarylphosphine rhodium carbonyl hydride complexes(Ar.sub.3 P).sub.3 Rh(CO)H (I) and (Ar.sub.3 P).sub.2 Rh(CO).sub.2 H (II)are selective and stable catalysts of high temperature olefin hydroformylation. The critical factors are the maintenance of a sufficient CO partial pressure, above 25 psia, and the provision of a high excess of triarylphosphine ligand concentration, at a minimum of 1 mole per kg. To provide a high ratio of n- to i-aldehyde products of 1-olefin hydroformylation, the concentration of the tris-phosphine complex (I) is maximized. In a continuous product flashoff operation of the present process, the major high boiling solvent components are the excess phosphine ligands and monoalcohol and monoester by-products.A combined isomerization-hydroformylation process is also disclosed for the selective conversion of internal linear olefins to terminal n-aldehydes. In this process, the concentration of the bis-phosphine complex (II) is minimized.