This paper proposes a two-stage conversion of biomass into gas, which consists of pyrolysis at 500–600 °C and steam reforming/gasification at 600–700 °C, and has a special feature of recycling of the potassium (K) catalyst. The proposed process was simulated experimentally employing K-loaded cedar as the feedstock and char from its pyrolysis as the catalyst for tar reforming. Tar from the pyrolysis was reformed over the char in a sequence of carbon deposition onto the pore surface and K-catalyzed steam gasification of the deposit, while K-catalyzed char gasification created active pores simultaneously. At the steam/carbon molar ratio of 0.55–1.10, the catalysis of K simultaneously realized the concentration of heavy tar (boiling point temperature > 336 °C) in the product gas as low as 20 mg m3 N dry and progress of the char gasification as fast as that of char formation by the pyrolysis. The concentration of hydrogen in the product gas exceeded 50 vol % dry. A portion of K was released from the pyrolyzing cedar, fully captured by the char bed of the reformer, and involved in the steam reforming and gasification. A major portion of K retained in/on the spent char was extracted with water. The resulting aqueous solution of K was ready to be used as spray for K loading on the feedstock.

Cobalt(II) iodide, bromide, and chloride react with 1 equiv. of IPr [1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene] to form a series of tetrahedral dimeric (30e) complexes of cobalt(II) in good yields. These were transformed into the monomeric forms in the presence of pyridine. These complexes [a]3079 were characterized by SQUID, XPS, UV/Vis spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and X-ray crystallography, and were found to have high catalytic activity for Kumada-Tamao-Corriu cross-coupling reactions of aryl halides.

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