Oxidative Condensation of Methane – a New Pathway to the Synthesis of Ethane, Ethylene, and Other Hydrocarbons

During the last five years, the chemistry of methane has been enriched by the possibility of obtaining C₂ and other hydrocarbons as a result of the oxidative condensation of methane in the presence of a series of catalytic systems. The availability of the starting materials (CH₄ and O₂) leads to extensive prospects for the replacement of the petroleum raw materials by natural gas in single-stage syntheses of valuable compounds and in the first place ethylene. This review gives a systematic account of the results of the selection of effective catalysts and surveys the information leading to the elucidation of the mechanism for the formation of the products of the extensive oxidation and oxidative condensation of methane.
The bibliography includes 118 references.