ABSTRACT
The development of next-generation processes that enable the clean and economical conversion of methane to all products that are currently derived from petroleum remains a long-standing, “Grand Challenge” within the field of chemistry. The key challenge with selective methane functionalization is that the oxidation products are much more reactive than methane by, essentially, every qualitative measure. This chapter highlights scientific discoveries and studies that are homogeneous and utilizes organometallic and/or inorganic complexes for the net conversion of methane to stable, functionalized products. Analogously, appropriate electron acceptors can also be identified using similar analysis to that of O-atom donors with known electrochemical data and comparing them to the reduction potential of the two-component half reaction for methane oxidation to methanol. The direct conversion of methane to fuels or chemicals at substantially below 800°C and without the need to generate syngas is one of the remaining “Grand Challenges” in chemistry.
