Homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic selective oxidation of alkanes: Looking backwards and forwards

Abstract

A no. of varied approaches to the fundamentally as well as practically important problem of selective alkane oxidn. have been studied in our labs. Examples from the realm of heterogeneous catalysis include oxidative coupling of methane, oxidn. of alkanes by TS- 1 and by mixed metal oxides. Homogeneous catalysis approaches include platinum- catalyzed hydroxylation, oxidn. of isobutane by iron porphyrins, and palladium- catalyzed oxidative dehydrogenation. Based on comparisons between these two groups from a mechanistic standpoint, I will consider constraints on the nature of possible selective oxidn. products and the extent to which selectivity may be achieved, and offer some comments on the prospects for practical applications.

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