While natural gas is a plentiful energy resource, methods to effectively convert light alkanes to readily transported liquids are energy and capital intense. Commercially available and inexpensive halide and iodine oxide salts can selectively functionalize methane, ethane and propane in high yields in trifluoroacetic acid solvent at temperatures ~200 °C. For the conversion of methane, yields &gt; 40% have been demonstrated with &gt; 97% selectivity for methyl trifluoroacetate. Under photolytic conditions, the conversion of methane to methyl trifluoroacetate also proceeds with high yield and selectivity (~50% and ~95%, respectively) Ethane and propane can also be functionalized photolytically with similar yields and selectivities as are observed under thermal conditions. These results and details of mechanistic studies will be presented.

Selective partial oxidation of light alkanes using iodine oxides and halides

254th National Meeting (2017)

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