ABSTRACT
Methane is the major component of natural gas, often constituting more than 90% of the hydrocarbon fraction of the gas. At present it is primarily used as a fuel. In the chemical industry it is used as a basis for the generation of synthesis gas, production of hydrogen, and manufacturing of the halogen derivatives of methane, acetylene, hydrogen cyanide, technical carbon, and many other products [1]. The recognized deposits of natural gas are, however, large enough for methane to be considered as the raw material substitute for oil in the next century. Functionalization of methane to make it a useful reactant for organic synthesis is therefore of great prospective importance. Since one of the processes used to functionalize hydrocarbon molecules is their partial oxidation, much research effort is now being devoted to the conversion of methane to useful chemicals by partial oxidation [2] and oxidative coupling [3].
