Dual catalyst system for alkane metathesis
AssigneesThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
InventorsAlan S. Goldman, Maurice Brookhart, Amy H. Roy, Ritu Ahuja, Zheng Huang
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Abstract
A method of converting at least one first alkane to a mixture of at least one low molecular weight alkane (optionally also including additional lower and/or higher molecular weight alkanes) and at least one high molecular weight alkane, comprising: reacting a first alkane in the presence of dual catalyst system comprising a first catalyst (i.e., a hydrogen transfer catalyst and preferably an iridium pincer complex catalyst) and a second catalyst (i.e., a metathesis catalyst) to produce a mixture of low and high molecular weight alkanes.
Claims29
A method of converting at least one first alkane to a mixture of at least one lower molecular weight alkane and at least one higher molecular weight alkane, comprising:
- reacting a first alkane in the presence of a dual catalyst system comprising:
- (i) a hydrogen transfer catalyst and (ii) a metathesis catalyst to produce said mixture of at least one low molecular weight alkane and at least one high molecular weight alkane, said reacting step carried out at a temperature not greater than 300° C. and in the presence of a hydrogen acceptor, and wherein the molar ratio of said hydrogen acceptor to said hydrogen transfer catalyst is not greater than 10:1;
- wherein said hydrogen transfer catalyst is an iridium pincer complex catalyst;
- and wherein said metathesis catalyst is selected from the group consisting of Schrock catalysts, molybdenum catalysts, tungsten oxide catalysts, rhenium oxide catalysts, and mixtures thereof.
In a method of making a liquid hydrocarbon fuel from a synthesis gas by the Fischer Tropsch reaction, wherein said fuel comprises at least one high molecular weigh alkane, and wherein at least a portion of the product of said Fischer Tropsch reaction comprises at least one low molecular weight alkane, the improvement comprising:
- converting at least a portion of said low molecular weight alkane to said high molecular weight alkane by reacting said low molecular weight alkane in the presence of a dual catalyst system comprising:
- (i) a hydrogen transfer catalyst and (ii) a metathesis catalyst to produce said high molecular weight alkane said reacting carried out at a temperature not greater than 300° C. and in the presence of a hydrogen acceptor, and wherein the molar ratio of said hydrogen acceptor to said hydrogen transfer catalyst is not greater than 10:1;
- wherein said hydrogen transfer catalyst is an iridium pincer complex catalyst;
- and wherein said metathesis catalyst is selected from the group consisting of Schrock catalysts, molybdenum catalysts, tungsten oxide catalysts, rhenium oxide catalysts, and mixtures thereof.
In a method of making a liquid hydrocarbon fuel from a synthesis gas by the Fischer-Tropsch reaction, wherein said fuel comprises at least one high molecular weigh alkane, wherein at least a portion of the product of said Fischer Tropsch reaction comprises a wax, and wherein said wax is of still higher molecular weight than said high molecular weight alkane, the improvement comprising:
- converting at least a portion of said wax to said at least one high molecular weight alkane by reacting said wax in the presence of a dual catalyst system comprising:
- (i) a hydrogen transfer catalyst and (ii) a metathesis catalyst to produce said at least one higher molecular weight alkane;
- said reacting carried out at a temperature not greater than 300° C. and in the presence of a hydrogen acceptor, and wherein the molar ratio of said hydrogen acceptor to said hydrogen transfer catalyst is not greater than 10:1;
- wherein said hydrogen transfer catalyst is an iridium pincer complex catalyst;
- and wherein said metathesis catalyst is selected from the group consisting of Schrock catalysts, molybdenum catalysts, tungsten oxide catalysts, rhenium oxide catalysts, and mixtures thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.