Main-group compounds selectively activate natural gas alkanes under room temperature and atmospheric pressure.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 39261473.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-52185-w and PMC identifier 11391052.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
Most C-H bond activations of natural gas alkanes rely on transition metal complexes. Activations by using main-group systems have been reported but required heating or photo-irradiation under high atmospheric pressure with rather low regioselectivity. Here we report that Lewis acid-carbene adducts facilely undergo oxidative additions to C-H bonds of ethane, propane and n-butane with high selectivity under room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The Lewis acids can be moved by the addition of a base and the carbene-derived products can be easily converted into aldehydes. This work offers a route for main-group element compounds to selectively functionalise C-H bonds of natural gas alkanes and other small molecules.