Patents by Inventor Maurice Brookhart

Maurice Brookhart has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9174893
    Abstract: A method of making para-xylene or toluene is carried out by: (a) reacting a C5 or C6 linear monoene (itself, or formed from a C5 or C6 linear alkane) with a hydrogen acceptor in the presence of a hydrogen transfer catalyst to produce a C5 or C6 diene; (b) reacting the C5-C6 diene with ethylene to produce a cyclohexene having 1 or 2 methyl groups substituted thereon; and then (c) either (i) dehydrogenating the cyclohexene in the presence of a hydrogen acceptor with a hydrogen transfer catalyst to produce a compound selected from the group consisting of para-xylene and toluene, or (ii) dehydrogenating the cyclohexene in the absence of a hydrogen acceptor with a dehydrogenation catalyst, to produce para-xylene or toluene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    Inventors: Maurice Brookhart, Michael Findlater, Damien Guironnet, Thomas Warren Lyons
  • Publication number: 20150218717
    Abstract: Catalytic compounds, catalytic electrodes comprising such compounds useful for generating formate from carbon dioxide, and methods of regenerating such electrodes are described. The catalytic compounds are in general compounds of Formula (I) or Formula (II): wherein: each R is independently H or a C1-C30 hydrocarbyl radical; each R1 is independently a C1-C30 hydrocarbyl radical; each X is independently selected from O and CH2; L is a covalent bond or linking group; Z is an at least one planar pi-bond containing organic group; each Q is a neutral two-electron donor ligand; n is 1 or 2; and A? is a non-coordinating counter-anion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Inventors: Peng Kang, Maurice Brookhart, Thomas Meyer, Sheng Zhang
  • Publication number: 20130237732
    Abstract: A method of making para-xylene or toluene is carried out by: (a) reacting a C5 or C6 linear monoene (itself, or formed from a C5 or C6 linear alkane) with a hydrogen acceptor in the presence of a hydrogen transfer catalyst to produce a C5 or C6 diene; (b) reacting the C5-C6 diene with ethylene to produce a cyclohexene having 1 or 2 methyl groups substituted thereon; and then (c) either (i) dehydrogenating the cyclohexene in the presence of a hydrogen acceptor with a hydrogen transfer catalyst to produce a compound selected from the group consisting of para-xylene and toluene, or (ii) dehydrogenating the cyclohexene in the absence of a hydrogen acceptor with a dehydrogenation catalyst, to produce para-xylene or toluene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2013
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    Inventors: Maurice Brookhart, Michael Findlater, Damien Guironnet, Thomas Warren Lyons
  • Patent number: 8362312
    Abstract: A method of converting at least one first alkane to a mixture of at least one low molecular weight alkane (optionally also including additional lower and/or higher molecular weight alkanes) and at least one high molecular weight alkane, comprises: reacting a first alkane in the presence of dual catalyst system comprising a first catalyst (i.e., a hydrogen transfer catalyst) and a second catalyst (i.e., a metathesis catalyst) to produce a mixture of low and high molecular weight alkanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    Inventors: Maurice Brookhart, Alan Goldman, Emily Carson, Zheng Huang, Sabuj Kumar Kundu
  • Patent number: 7902417
    Abstract: A method of converting at least one first alkane to a mixture of at least one low molecular weight alkane (optionally also including additional lower and/or higher molecular weight alkanes) and at least one high molecular weight alkane, comprising: reacting a first alkane in the presence of dual catalyst system comprising a first catalyst (i.e., a hydrogen transfer catalyst and preferably an iridium pincer complex catalyst) and a second catalyst (i.e., a metathesis catalyst) to produce a mixture of low and high molecular weight alkanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignees: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
    Inventors: Alan S. Goldman, Maurice Brookhart, Amy H. Roy, Ritu Ahuja, Zheng Huang
  • Publication number: 20100236984
    Abstract: A method of converting at least one first alkane to a mixture of at least one low molecular weight alkane (optionally also including additional lower and/or higher molecular weight alkanes) and at least one high molecular weight alkane, comprises: reacting a first alkane in the presence of dual catalyst system comprising a first catalyst (i.e., a hydrogen transfer catalyst) and a second catalyst (i.e., a metathesis catalyst) to produce a mixture of low and high molecular weight alkanes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2008
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Inventors: Maurice Brookhart, Alan Goldman, Emily Carson, Zheng Huang, Sabuj Kumar Kundu
  • Patent number: 7375242
    Abstract: Selected nickel complexes of the anions of certain 2-aminotropones are olefin polymerization catalysts. Novel 2-aminotropones and their nickel complexes are also disclosed together with methods of making these 2-aminotropones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Frederick Hicks, Maurice Brookhart
  • Publication number: 20070060781
    Abstract: A method of converting at least one first alkane to a mixture of at least one low molecular weight alkane (optionally also including additional lower and/or higher molecular weight alkanes) and at least one high molecular weight alkane, comprising: reacting a first alkane in the presence of dual catalyst system comprising a first catalyst (i.e., a hydrogen transfer catalyst and preferably an iridium pincer complex catalyst) and a second catalyst (i.e., a metathesis catalyst) to produce a mixture of low and high molecular weight alkanes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2006
    Publication date: March 15, 2007
    Inventors: Alan Goldman, Maurice Brookhart, Amy Roy, Ritu Ahuja, Zheng Huang
  • Publication number: 20060199727
    Abstract: Certain Group 8-10 transition metal complexes of bidentate ligands can be supported on hydroxyl containing supports which have been treated with certain organometallic compounds. These olefin polymerization catalyst precursors can be activated for olefin polymerization by contacting them with specific types of compounds to form olefin polymerization catalysts. Olefins which may be polymerized include ethylene and certain polar comonomers. The polyolefins produced are useful, for example, as films for packaging and as molding resins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2006
    Publication date: September 7, 2006
    Inventors: Maurice Brookhart, Henri Schrekker, Joel Citron
  • Patent number: 7030200
    Abstract: Late transition metal complexes of certain ligands which contain phosphinidine and/or imine groups are useful as components of polymerization catalysts for olefins. Useful metals in the complexes include Ni, Pd, Fe and Co. Oligomers and/or polymers of olefins such as ethylene can be made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignees: E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, University of North Carolina
    Inventors: Maurice Brookhart, Olafs Daugulis
  • Publication number: 20050245702
    Abstract: Late transition metal complexes of certain ligands which contain phosphinidine and/or imine groups are useful as components of polymerization catalysts for olefins. Useful metals in the complexes include Ni, Pd, Fe and Co. Oligomers and/or polymers of olefins such as ethylene can be made.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Publication date: November 3, 2005
    Inventors: Maurice Brookhart, Olafs Daugulis
  • Publication number: 20050119429
    Abstract: Late transition metal complexes of certain neutral iminophosphine ligands are useful as components of polymerization catalysts for olefins. Useful metals in the complexes include Ni, Pd, Fe and Co. Oligomers and/or polymers of olefins such as ethylene can be made.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Publication date: June 2, 2005
    Inventors: Maurice Brookhart, Olafs Daugulis
  • Publication number: 20030027957
    Abstract: Selected nickel complexes of the anions of certain 2-aminotropones are olefin polymerization catalysts. Novel 2-aminotropones and their nickel complexes are also disclosed together with methods of making these 2-aminotropones.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2002
    Publication date: February 6, 2003
    Inventors: Frederick Hicks, Maurice Brookhart