The Catalytic Oxidative Coupling of Methane

One of the great challenges in the field of heterogeneous catalysis is the conversion of methane to more useful chemicals and fuels. A chemical of particular importance is ethene, which can be obtained by the oxidative coupling of methane. In this reaction CH₄ is first oxidatively converted into C₂H₆, and then into C₂H₄. The fundamental aspects of the problem involve both a heterogeneous component, which includes the activation of CH₄ on a metal oxide surface, and a homogeneous gas-phase component, which includes free-radical chemistry. Ethane is produced mainly by the coupling of the surface-generated CH radicals in the gas phase. The yield of C₂H₄ and C₂H₆ is limited by secondary reactions of CH radicals with the surface and by the further oxidation of C₂H₄, both on the catalyst surface and in the gas phase. Currently, the best catalysts provide 20% CH₄ conversion with 80% combined C₂H₄ and C₂H₆ selectivity in a single pass through the reactor. Less is known about the nature of the active centers than about the reaction mechanism; however, reactive oxygen ions are apparently required for the activation of CH₄ on certain catalysts. There is spectroscopic evidence for surface O^? or O ions. In addition to the oxidative coupling of CH₄, cross-coupling reactions, such as between methane and toluene to produce styrene, have been investigated. Many of the same catalysts are effective, and the cross-coupling reaction also appears to involve surface-generated radicals. Although a technological process has not been developed, extensive research has resulted in a reasonable understanding of the elementary reactions that occur during the oxidative coupling of methane.     

Studies on diacetylenic vinyl compounds. VI. ESR studies on the polymerization of diacetylene containing acrylate and methacrylates

A number of diacetylene containing acrylate and methacrylates have been synthesized and the interaction between their propagating radicals and the diacetylene groups was studied by ESR spectroscopy. In the case of polymerization at 70°C using AIBN as an initiator, the propagating radicals of methacrylates are temporarily trapped with the diacetylenes with rapid exchange of the electron, thus showing strong signals of the propagating radicals. Gamma irradiation of the frozen state produces a blue color in samples, and the ESR signals were found to be those of uninteracted acrylate and methacrylates. From a comparison of spectral widths, there seems to exist an intramolecular interaction between the radicals and the diacetylene group at the frozen state. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Effective removal of chlorinated organic pollutants by bimetallic iron-nickel sulfide activation of peroxydisulfate

Chlorinated organic pollutants(COPs) have caused serious contaminants in soil and groundwater,hence developing methods to remove these pollutants is necessary and urgent.By a simple hydrothermal method,we synthesized the bimetallic iron-nickel sulfide(FeNiS) particles which exhibited excellent catalytic property of COPs removal.FeNiS was chosen as the peroxydisulfate(PDS) activator to removal COPs including 4-chlorophenol(4-CP),1,4-dichlorophenol(1,4-DCP) and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol(2,4,6-TCP).The results show that FeNiS can efficiently activate PDS to produce sulfate radical(SO_4~(·-)) which plays major role in the oxidative dechlorination and degradation due to its strong oxidizing property and the ability of producing hydroxyl radicals(~·OH) in the alkaline condition.Meanwhile,the Cl-abscised from COPs during the dechlorination can turn into the chlorine radicals and enhance the degradation and cause further mineralization of intermediate products.This bimetallic FeNiS catalyst is a promising PDS activator for removal of chlorinated organics.     

Electrochemical Oxidation of Quercetin

The mechanism of electrochemical oxidation of quercetin on a glassy carbon electrode has been studied using cyclic, differential pulse and square‐wave voltammetry at different pH. It proceeds in a cascade mechanism, related with the two catechol hydroxyl groups and the other three hydroxyl groups which all present electroactivity, and the oxidation is pH dependent. Quercetin also adsorbs strongly on the electrode surface; and the final oxidation product is not electroactive and blocks the electrode surface. The oxidation of the catechol 3′,4′‐dihydroxyl electron‐donating groups, occurs first, at very low positive potentials, and is a two electron two proton reversible reaction. The hydroxyl group oxidized next was shown to undergo an irreversible oxidation reaction, and this hydroxyl group can form a intermolecular hydrogen bond with the neighboring oxygen. The other two hydroxyl groups also have an electron donating effect and their oxidation is reversible.     

An ESR study of radical reactions of C60 and C70

The results of ESR spectroscopic studies of radical reactions of fullerenes are presented. Reactivities of radicals of various chemical natures with respect to C₆₀ and C₇₀, delocalization of the unpaired electron in monofullerenyl radicals, and their reactivity are considered. The examples of dynamic effects in the ESR spectra of fullerenyl radicals, associated with the hindered rotation of the attached radicals, are presented. Characteristic features of the structures of the spin adducts resulting from polyaddition of free radicals to fullerenes and of fullerenyl radicals containing ²-bonded metaIloco mplexes are discussed.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 2396–2406, October, 1996.     

Synthesis of derivatives of ketocarboxylic acids by the decomposition of 1,4-cyclohexanedione monoethyleneketal hydroperoxide

The decomposition of 1,4-dihydroxy-1,4-dihydroperoxycyclohexane under the action of FeSO₄ and the decomposition of 1,4-cyclohexanedione monoethyleneketal hydroperoxide under the action of Fe^II salts in the presence of various ligands or under the action of Cu^II sulfate have been studied. A preparative method for the synthesis of derivatives of diketodicarboxylic or -functionally substituted ketocarboxylic acids from 1,4-cyclohexanedione monoethyleneketal has been developed.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1231–1235, July, 1993.     

The role of radicals in metal-assisted oxygenation reactions

The oxo-functionalization of organic substrates with the aid of metal oxo moieties is of fundamental importance not only in nature but also in academic and industrial research. Nevertheless the corresponding reaction mechanisms remain among the most enigmatic in chemistry and few of them are understood in detail. Recent research efforts have resulted in significantly improved information: in the cases of many oxygenation reactions evidence has been provided for the occurrence radical intermediates, even though the high selectivity observed suggests to a different mechanism. Examples stem from various areas of chemistry and include processes involving molecular metal oxo complexes, gas-phase and matrix-isolated species, metalloenzymes, and solid-state oxide surfaces. This review treats this seemingly wide variety of systems with the aim of providing an overview of common reactivity patterns and principles, as well as open problems.     

ESR study of NiIII complexes with nitrosonaphthols and dithio acids

Mixed-ligand Ni^III complexes with -nitroso--naphthol, -nitroso--naphthol,o-ethylxanthate, andN,N-diethyldithiocarbamate as ligands have been studied by ESR in liquid and frozen solutions. The degrees of symmetry distortion for the first coordination sphere of these complexes have been determined. It is shown that the transition from planar square Ni^IIL₂ complexes to more stable octahedral Ni^IIIL₂L and Ni^IIILL₂ complexes occursvia the radical addition mechanism. A method for trapping short-lived radicals is suggested on the basis of the complex formation scheme.Translted fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1513–1515, August, 1995.The work was financially supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Project No. 93-03-5050)     

Relative kinetics of the homolytic addition of 2-phenyl-1,3-dioxolane to unsaturated compounds

The CH₂ = CHX olefins form a series relative to their reactivity in reactions with 2-phenyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl radicals, which qualitatively correlates with the electron-withdrawing capacity of substituent X: CN CO₂Me >> SiMe₃ C₄H₉. This behavior indicates that the dioxolanyl radical is nucleophilic.A. N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organometallic Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117813 Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1663–1666, July, 1992.     

Stabilisation of Methylene Radicals by Cob(II)alamin in Coenzyme B12 Dependent Mutases

Coenzyme B₁₂ initiates radical chemistry in two types of enzymatic reactions, the irreversible eliminases (e.g., diol dehydratases) and the reversible mutases (e.g., methylmalonyl‐CoA mutase). Whereas eliminases that use radical generators other than coenzyme B₁₂ are known, no alternative coenzyme B₁₂ independent mutases have been detected for substrates in which a methyl group is reversibly converted to a methylene radical. We predict that such mutases do not exist. However, coenzyme B₁₂ independent pathways have been detected that circumvent the need for glutamate, β‐lysine or methylmalonyl‐CoA mutases by proceeding via different intermediates. In humans the methylcitrate cycle, which is ostensibly an alternative to the coenzyme B₁₂ dependent methylmalonyl‐CoA pathway for propionate oxidation, is not used because it would interfere with the Krebs cycle and thereby compromise the high‐energy requirement of the nervous system. In the diol dehydratases the 5′‐deoxyadenosyl radical generated by homolysis of the carbon–cobalt bond of coenzyme B₁₂ moves about 10 Å away from the cobalt atom in cob(II )alamin. The substrate and product radicals are generated at a similar distance from cob(II )alamin, which acts solely as spectator of the catalysis. In glutamate and methylmalonyl‐CoA mutases the 5′‐deoxyadenosyl radical remains within 3–4 Å of the cobalt atom, with the substrate and product radicals approximately 3 Å further away. It is suggested that cob(II )alamin acts as a conductor by stabilising both the 5′‐deoxyadenosyl radical and the product‐related methylene radicals.