(761c) Methane to liquids catalysis: in search of a Holy Grail

Recent abundance of natural gas rejuvenated interest in catalytic methods leading to its high value products. That is also mandated by a relatively low natural gas market price motivating gas producers to invest into the downstream technologies.  Finally, increased amounts of oil extraction in remote locations also brought up associated gas flaring problems.  For example, about one-third of the natural gas North Dakota has produced in recent years has been flared.  This is due to absence of the gas transporting infrastructure and low volumetric energy density of natural gas.  In the meantime, industrially prevalent method of the main natural gas component, methane, conversion to value added products still relies on the indirect syngas route.  In this presentation, methods of methane conversion to value added products with emphasis on its catalysis to liquids, such as oxygenates, BTX and transportation fuels, will be presented.  Nature and effect of the added oxidants on product selectivity and the overall process economics will be discussed.  Recent advances in a single site iron incorporated siliceous catalysts will be reviewed.  Proposed methods to kinetically stabilize reactive intermediates necessary to achieve good selectivity will be also discussed.