skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Conversion of methane to higher hydrocarbons (Biomimetic catalysis of the conversion of methane to methanol). Final report

Abstract

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,more » 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.« less

Authors:
; ;  [1]
  1. and others
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); Gas Research Inst., Chicago, IL (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
10117847
Report Number(s):
UCRL-CR-119242
ON: DE95006801;; TRN: AHC29508%%35
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-48
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Sep 1993
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
03 NATURAL GAS; 10 SYNTHETIC FUELS; METHANE; OXIDATION; METHANOL; BIOSYNTHESIS; OXYGENASES; CATALYTIC EFFECTS; METHANOTROPHIC BACTERIA; BATCH CULTURE; CONTINUOUS CULTURE; PROGRESS REPORT; BIOMIMETIC PROCESSES; MOLECULAR STRUCTURE; CATALYSTS; CHEMICAL PREPARATION; TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE; PH VALUE; PHOSPHATES; CARBON DIOXIDE; NITRATES; IRON; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; 030400; 100200; PRODUCTS AND BY-PRODUCTS; PRODUCTION

Citation Formats

Watkins, B E, Taylor, R T, and Satcher, J H. Conversion of methane to higher hydrocarbons (Biomimetic catalysis of the conversion of methane to methanol). Final report. United States: N. p., 1993. Web. doi:10.2172/10117847.
Watkins, B E, Taylor, R T, & Satcher, J H. Conversion of methane to higher hydrocarbons (Biomimetic catalysis of the conversion of methane to methanol). Final report. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/10117847
Watkins, B E, Taylor, R T, and Satcher, J H. 1993. "Conversion of methane to higher hydrocarbons (Biomimetic catalysis of the conversion of methane to methanol). Final report". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/10117847. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/10117847.
@article{osti_10117847,
title = {Conversion of methane to higher hydrocarbons (Biomimetic catalysis of the conversion of methane to methanol). Final report},
author = {Watkins, B E and Taylor, R T and Satcher, J H},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {10.2172/10117847},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10117847}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1993},
month = {Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1993}
}