Catalytic Partial Oxidation of Methane

A method for partial oxidation of alkanes comprising:

• contacting methane, ethane, or a combination thereof with O2 in the presence of acetonitrile and boron nitride in a reaction environment, under supercritical conditions for acetonitrile, to form methanol, the supercritical conditions comprising a temperature of 300° C. or less,
• wherein the boron nitride is supported on graphite, SiO2, molybdenum sulfide, tungsten sulfide, carbon nanotubes, nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes, or a combination thereof.

A method for partial oxidation of alkanes comprising:

• contacting methane, ethane, or a combination thereof with O2 in the presence of acetonitrile and a nitride initiator in a reaction environment under supercritical conditions for acetonitrile to form methanol, the supercritical conditions comprising a temperature of 300° C. or less,
• wherein a ratio of initial surface area of the boron nitride to a molar amount of O2 in the reaction environment is 4.5 to 7.0 m2 BN (SA)/mmole O2.