TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Composition: The transition metal precursor is chosen from cerium, chromium, copper, iron, molybdenum, nickel, ruthenium, tantalum, titanium, vanadium, tungsten and zinc precursors, preferably iron precursor. The iron precursor is iron nitrate.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Composition: The nitrogen-containing polyelectrolyte forms complex-like structure with silica due to positive charge, and does not naturally complex with iron and transition metal. The nitrogen-containing polyelectrolyte has a graphite-like structure. The nitrogen-containing polyelectrolyte is a branched polymer. The nitrogen-containing polymer is chosen from polyetheleneneimine, poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline), poly(acrylamide-co-diallyldimethylammonium chloride), poly(melamine-co-formaldehyde) and poly(6-((1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)amino)-s-triazine-2,4-diyl)-((2,2,6, 6-tetramethyl-4-piperidyl)imino)-hexamethylene-((2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidyl)imino), preferably polyetheleneneimine or poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline). EXAMPLE - Iron-poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) catalysts were prepared by wet impregnation of iron and poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) precursors onto a surface of Cab-O-Sil EH-5 (RTM: fumed silica) having surface area of -400 m2g-1. Silica (3 g) was dispersed in water using a sonobath. The solution of poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (10 g) in water was added to the silica, and sonicated for 20 minutes, making a complex-like structure with silica. An aqueous solution of iron nitrate (0.6 g) was added to the silica-poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) solution and sonicated for 8 hours in the sonobath. After sonication, a viscous solution of silica and iron- poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) was dried overnight at 85 degrees C. The solid was ground to a fine powder in an agate mortar, and then subjected to the heat treatment at 800 degrees C UHP nitrogen atmosphere at a rate of 100 cc min1 at 10 degrees C min1 for 1 hour. After heat treatment silica material was removed, to obtain metal-nitrogen-carbon catalyst.