Dehydrogenation, of alkanes

Direct propane dehydrogenation is the most economical route to propylene, but the process is very complex. However, performing this reaction on a MSR offers the possibility to reach a propylene selectivity of 73-95%, with conversions between 31 and 24% (over calcium hydroxyapatite or Pt-Sn/Al-SAPO-34 catalyst, at 590 °C, respectively) [30,31]. On the other hand, Karinen et al. [32] performed the dehydrogenation of isobutane to isobutene over a chromia/alumina catalyst in a sandwich-type structured microreactor, at 570 °C under atmospheric pressure, showing good results despite its high endothermicity. 

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Dehydrogenation of alkanes is not a practical laboratory synthesis for the vast majority of alkenes The principal methods by which alkenes are prepared m the labo ratory are two other (3 eliminations the dehydration of alcohols and the dehydrohalo genation of alkyl halides A discussion of these two methods makes up the remainder of this chapter... 

L = P(CH3)3 or CO, oxidatively add arene and alkane carbon—hydrogen bonds (181,182). Catalytic dehydrogenation of alkanes (183) and carbonylation of bensene (184) has also been observed. Iridium compounds have also been shown to catalyse hydrogenation (185) and isomerisation of unsaturated alkanes (186), hydrogen-transfer reactions, and enantioselective hydrogenation of ketones (187) and imines (188). 

Nickel metal successfully catalyzes the hydrogenation of double bonds in unsaturated hydrocarbons such as propylene and butene. Can this metal also catalyze the dehydrogenation of alkanes such as propane and butane ... 

One of the most studied applications of Catalytic Membrane Reactors (CMRs) is the dehydrogenation of alkanes. For this reaction, in conventional reactors and under classical conditions, the conversion is controlled by thermodynamics and high temperatures are required leading to a rapid catalyst deactivation and expensive operative costs In a CMR, the selective removal of hydrogen from the reaction zone through a permselective membrane will favour the conversion and then allow higher olefin yields when compared to conventional (nonmembrane) reactors [1-3]... 

Considerable interest in the subject of C-H bond activation at transition-metal centers has developed in the past several years (2), stimulated by the observation that even saturated hydrocarbons can react with little or no activation energy under appropriate conditions. Interestingly, gas phase studies of the reactions of saturated hydrocarbons at transition-metal centers were reported as early as 1973 (3). More recently, ion cyclotron resonance and ion beam experiments have provided many examples of the activation of both C-H and C-C bonds of alkanes by transition-metal ions in the gas phase (4). These gas phase studies have provided a plethora of highly speculative reaction mechanisms. Conventional mechanistic probes, such as isotopic labeling, have served mainly to indicate the complexity of "simple" processes such as the dehydrogenation of alkanes (5). More sophisticated techniques, such as multiphoton infrared laser activation (6) and the determination of kinetic energy release distributions (7), have revealed important features of the potential energy surfaces associated with the reactions of small molecules at transition metal centers. 

Another area of high research intensity is the catalytic dehydrogenation of alkanes to yield industrially important olefin derivatives by a formally endothermic (ca. 35 kcal mol-1) loss of H2. Recent results have concentrated on pincer iridium complexes, which catalytically dehydrogenate cycloalkanes, in the presence of a hydrogen accepting (sacrificial) olefin, with turnover numbers (TONs) of >1000 (Equation (23)) (see, e.g., Ref 33,... 

Finally, whilst rhenium hydride complexes have not been reported to hydrogenate alkenes, there are several reports of the dehydrogenation of alkanes in the presence of tBuCH=CH2 as an hydrogen acceptor (Scheme 6.14) [136-142]. For example, cycloalkanes are transformed catalytically into the corresponding cyclic alkene, which shows that, in principle, a Re-based catalyst could be designed. 

These results suggested that 0 may be an important intermediate in the oxidative dehydrogenation of alkanes. 

Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Ethane. The dehydrogenation of alkanes also occurs, but in a catalytic manner, over molybdenum supported on silica (22,23). In addition to the stoichiometric reactions, the role of the 0 ion in this catalytic reaction is further suggested by the observation that N2O is an effective oxidant at temperatures as low as 280°C, but no reaction is observed at these temperatures with O2 as the oxidant (22). It should be noted that at moderate temperatues N2O gives rise to 0 , whereas O2 yields O2 over Mo/Si02. Under steady-state conditions the rates of formation of C2Hi were in the ratio of 7 1 at 375°C and 3.7 1 at 450°C when N2O and O2 were used as the oxidants, respectively (23). ... 

In heterogeneous metal catalysis alkanes, alkenes, and aromatics adsorbed on the metal surface rapidly exchange hydrogen and deuterium. The multiple adsorption of reactants and intermediates lowers the barriers for such exchange processes. Hydrogenation of unsaturated aliphatics and isomerisation can be accomplished under mild conditions. Catalytic dehydrogenation of alkanes to alkenes requires temperatures >200 °C, but this is because of the thermodynamics of this reaction. 

Figure 19.10. Dehydrogenation of alkanes with pincer complexes...

Metal-oxygen bond, 27 195, 196 insertion reactions, 28 136-141 strength and selectivity, oxidative dehydrogenation of alkanes, 40 26-28... 

Pincer complexes catalyze a variety of other organic reactions [49-51]. Hence, this work is currently being extended to other metals, and other more readily accessible PCP systems. For example, as shown in Scheme 3, lO-Rfs can be converted to the iridium hydride chloride complex 15-Rfs. Closely related dihydride complexes catalyze dehydrogenations of alkanes at high temperatures [52], However, no efforts to develop recoverable catalysts have been reported to date. 

The first example of dehydrogenation of alkanes by a transition metal complex was also achieved with iridium. The cationic iridium(III) complex, [IrH2-(acetone)2(PPh3)2]" BF4, with TBE (3,3-dimethyl-l-butene or t-butylethene) as... 

NPE). Dehydrogenation of -alkanes from petroleum (C9H20) is the source of the linear nonene. They still have 13% of the production for the major household surfactant market. 

As seen from the discussions, there are numerous heterogeneous catalysts suitable for the dehydrogenation of alkanes. In sharp contrast, homogeneous catalysts are rare. Exceptions are the Ir pincer complexes (7a and 7b), which are extraordinarily active and robust catalysts.333... 

In spite of significant fundamental studies and its significant economic potential as an alternate route to alkenes, the oxidative dehydrogenation of alkanes to alkenes is not currently practiced.383 The main reason is that the secondary oxidation of the primary alkene products limits severely alkene yields, which becomes more significant with increasing conversion. This is due mainly to the higher energies of the C—H bonds in the reactant alkanes compared to those of the product alkenes. This leads to the rapid combustion of alkenes, that is, the formation of carbon oxides, at the temperatures required for C—H bond activation in alkanes. 

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