Conversion of methane to higher hydrocarbons (Biomimetic catalysis of the conversion of methane to methanol). Final report
- and others
In addition to inorganic catalysts that react with methane, it is well-known that a select group of aerobic soil/water bacteria called methanotrophs can efficiently and selectively utilize methane as the sole source of their energy and carbon for cellular growth. The first reaction in this metabolic pathway is catalyzed by the enzyme methane monooxygenase (MMO) forming methanol. Methanol is a technology important product from this partial oxidation of methane since it can be easily converted to liquid hydrocarbon transportation fuels (gasoline), used directly as a liquid fuel or fuel additive itself, or serve as a feedstock for chemicals production. This naturally occurring biocatalyst (MMO) is accomplishing a technologically important transformation (methane directly to methanol) for which there is currently no analogous chemical (non-biological) process. The authors approach has been to use the biocatalyst, MMO, as the initial focus in the development of discrete chemical catalysts (biomimetic complexes) for methane conversion. The advantage of this approach is that it exploits a biocatalytic system already performing a desired transformation of methane. In addition, this approach generated needed new experimental information on catalyst structure and function in order to develop new catalysts rationally and systematically. The first task is a comparative mechanistic, biochemical, and spectroscopic investigation of MMO enzyme systems. This work was directed at developing a description of the structure and function of the catalytically active sites in sufficient detail to generate a biomimetic material. The second task involves the synthesis, characterization, and chemical reactions of discrete complexes that mimic the enzymatic active site. These complexes were synthesized based on their best current understanding of the MMO active site structure.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); Gas Research Inst., Chicago, IL (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 10117847
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-CR--119242; ON: DE95006801
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
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BATCH CULTURE
BIOMIMETIC PROCESSES
BIOSYNTHESIS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CATALYSTS
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
CHEMICAL PREPARATION
CONTINUOUS CULTURE
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
IRON
METHANE
METHANOL
METHANOTROPHIC BACTERIA
MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
NITRATES
OXIDATION
OXYGENASES
PH VALUE
PHOSPHATES
PRODUCTION
PRODUCTS AND BY-PRODUCTS
PROGRESS REPORT
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE