Catalyst comprising n-substituted cyclic imides and processes for preparing organic compounds with the catalyst

A catalyst composition comprising

• an imide compound represented by following Formula (1):
• wherein R1, R2, R3, and R4 are the same or different and are each a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a C1–C10 alkyl group, an aryl group, a cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl group, a hydroxyl group, a C1–C10 alkoxy group, a carboxyl group, a C1–C20 alkoxycarbonyl group, a C3–C15 cycloalkyloxycarbonyl group, a C6–C20 aryloxycarbonyl group, a C7–C21 aralkyloxycarbonyl group, an acyl group, or an acyloxy group, where at least two of R1, R2, R3, and R4 may be combined with each other to form a double bond, or a C5–C12 aromatic or alicyclic or bridged ring, and where at least one N-substituted cyclic imido group indicated in Formula (1) may further be formed on R1, R2, R3, and R4 or on the double bond or on the aromatic or alicyclic or bridged ring formed by at least two of R1, R2, R3, and R4 and wherein R is a group which can form an acetal or hemiacetal with a hydroxyl group or a group obtained from an acid by eliminating an OH group from the acid and wherein the imide compound may also have a plurality of N-oxy cyclic imide skeletons bonded through R, which N-oxy cyclic imide skeletons are obtained from the N-substituted cyclic imide represented by formula (1) by eliminating R therefrom,
• in combination with a metallic compound.