Asymmetric hydrogenation uses inexpensive, clean hydrogen gas and a very small amount of a chiral molecular catalyst, providing the most powerful way to produce a wide array of enantio-enriched compounds in a large quantity without forming any waste. The recent revolutionary advances in this field have entirely changed the synthetic approach to producing performance chemicals that require a hig...

In this review article chiral titanocenes and their application for the enantioselective hydrogenations of different unsaturated compounds are discussed, with a special emphasis on the kinetics and the practicality of the developed systems. The nature of enantioselectivity and the hydrogenation mechanisms are reviewed as well. Catalyst immobilization and the different immobilization techniques ...

We synthesized Na(2)[B(12)H(12)] by a solid state procedure and thermal decomposition of Na[B(3)H(8)], and calculated from a first-principles approach the thermodynamic and structural properties. In particular, the calculated enthalpy of formation of the monoclinic structure, at T = 0 K, of -1086.196 kJ mol(-1) showed that it is a very stable compound. Therefore, in case it were formed during t...

A versatile and compact experimental apparatus for the on-line spectroscopic study of liquidphase catalytic systems was designed and characterized with respect to gas-liquid mass transfer, liquid-solid mass transfer and intra-particle diffusion. The utility of the system was demonstrated by two semi-batch differential heterogeneous catalytic reactions in d8toluene/h8-toluene, the racemic hydrog...

Electrocatalytic hydrogenation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-dihydroxymethylfuran (DHMF) or other species, such as 2,5-dimethylfuran, on solid metal electrodes in neutral media is addressed, both in the absence and in the presence of glucose. The reaction is studied by combining voltammetry with on-line product analysis by using HPLC, which provides both qualitative and quantitative i...

The asymmetric hydrogenation of prochiral enamides with Rh complexes bearing chiral phosphine– phosphite ligands (P–OP) supported on sulphonated polystyrene resins has been studied. The complexes have been supported by simple treatment of preformed [Rh(diolefin)(P–OP)](BF4) with the Li salt of resins. In MeOH, high enantioselectivities were observed in the hydrogenation of methyl α-N-acetamido ...

Hydrogenation of various types of oleochemicals is a major unit operation in industry. Natural fatty alcohols are important raw materials for surfactants and lubricants and can be produced by catalytic hydrogenation of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). Commercial multiphase processes are necessarily operated at high pressures and high hydrogen-to-ester mole ration owing to low solubility of hydr...