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Published on: August 17, 2018
Catalytic functionalization of methane and light alkanes in supercritical carbon dioxide
M Ángeles Fuentes1, Andrea Olmos, Bianca K Muñoz
1Laboratorio de Catálisis Homogénea, Unidad Asociada al CSIC, CIQSO-Centro de Investigación en Química Sostenible and Departamento de Química y Ciencia de Materiales, Universidad de Huelva, 21007 Huelva (Spain), Fax: (+34) 959219942.
Abstract:
The development of catalytic methods for the effective functionalization of methane yet remains a challenge. The best system known to date is the so-called Catalytica Process based on the use of platinum catalysts to convert methane into methyl bisulfate with a TOF rate of 10(-3) s. In this contribution, we report a series of silver complexes containing perfluorinated tris(indazolyl)borate ligands that catalyze the functionalization of methane into ethyl propionate upon reaction with ethyl diazoacetate (EDA) by using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) as the reaction medium. The employment of this reaction medium has also allowed the functionalization of ethane, propane, butane, and isobutane.
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