# US 9,399,661 B2 · Tetrapeptide copper catalysts capable of oxidizing hydrocarbons at room temperature > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,399,661 B2 - Document ID: US9399661B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/815,303 - Filed: 2015-07-31 - Published: 2016-03-03 - Granted: 2016-07-26 - Earliest claimed: 2014-08-07 - Assignees: The University of the West Indies - Applicants: University of the West Indies - Inventors: Gurdial Singh; Latisha Candice Nicholas-Lewis - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9399661B2 ## CPC - C07K 5/1008: {the side chain containing 0 or 1 carbon atoms, i.e. Gly, Ala} - B01J 31/181: {Cyclic ligands, including e.g. non-condensed polycyclic ligands, comprising at least one complexing nitrogen atom as ring member, e.g. pyridine} - B01J 31/1825: {Ligands comprising condensed ring systems, e.g. acridine, carbazole} - C07C 29/48: by oxidation reactions with formation of hydroxy groups - C07C 29/50: with molecular oxygen only - C07K 5/1021: {with the first amino acid being acidic} - C07K 5/1024: {with the first amino acid being heterocyclic} - B01J 2231/70: Oxidation reactions, e.g. epoxidation, (di)hydroxylation, dehydrogenation and analogues - B01J 2531/0275: derived from amino acids - B01J 2531/16: Copper - C07C 45/33: of CHx-moieties - C07K 5/1027: {containing heteroatoms different from O, S, or N} - Y02P 20/52: using catalysts, e.g. selective catalysts - C07K: PEPTIDES (peptides in foodstuffs A23; obtaining protein compositions for foodstuffs, working-up proteins for foodstuffs A23J; preparations for medicinal purposes A61K; peptides containing beta-lactam rings C07D; cyclic dipeptides not having in their molecule any other peptide link than those which form their ring, e.g. piperazine-2,5-diones, C07D; ergot alkaloids of the cyclic peptide type C07D519/02; macromolecular compounds having statistically distributed amino acid units in their molecules, i.e. when the preparation does not provide for a specific; but for a random sequence of the amino acid units, homopolyamides and block copolyamides derived from amino acids C08G69/00; macromolecular products derived from proteins C08H1/00; preparation of glue or gelatine C09H; single cell proteins, enzymes C12N; genetic engineering processes for obtaining peptides C12N15/00; compositions for measuring or testing processes involving enzymes C12Q; investigation or analysis of biological material G01N33/00) - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS - C07C: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract The present invention relates to peptide copper catalysts capable of oxidizing hydrocarbons at room temperature. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A catalyst containing a copper metal and a peptide, wherein the peptide is a tetrapeptide or pentapeptide capable of catalytic oxidation of a hydrocarbon. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The catalyst in claim 1, wherein the peptide is a tetrapeptide. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The catalyst in claim 2, wherein the tetrapeptide is a straight chain tetrapeptide comprising four amino acids. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The catalyst in claim 3, wherein the straight chain tetrapeptide comprises four amino acids selected from the group consisting of Alanine, Aspartate, Glutamate, Glycine, Histidine, Methionine and Tryptophan. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The catalyst in claim 3, wherein the straight chain tetrapeptide comprises four amino acids selected from the group consisting of Alanine, Aspartate, Glutamate, Histidine, Methionine and Tryptophan. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The catalyst in claim 5, wherein the straight chain tetrapeptide comprises four amino acids selected from the group consisting of Alanine, Glutamate and Histidine. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The catalyst in claim 5, wherein the straight chain tetrapeptide comprises four amino acids selected from the group consisting of Alanine, Aspartate, Methionine and Tryptophan. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The catalyst in claim 3, wherein the straight chain tetrapeptide comprises four amino acids having at least Glutamate and Histidine. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The catalyst in claim 3, wherein the peptide is selected from any one of the following straight chain tetrapeptides having a peptide sequence comprising: AlaHisAlaGlu; AlaMetAspTrp; AlaHisGlyGlu; AlaHisHisHis; GlyHisHisHis; GluHisAspHis; HisMetAspTrp; and AspHisAspHis. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) The catalyst in claim 3, wherein the peptide is selected from any one of the following straight chain tetrapeptides having a peptide sequence comprising: AlaHisAlaGlu; and AlaMetAspTrp. ### Claim 11 A method for catalytic oxidation of a hydrocarbon using a catalyst containing a copper metal and a peptide, wherein the peptide is a tetrapeptide or pentapeptide capable of catalytic oxidation of a hydrocarbon. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method in claim 11, wherein the peptide is a tetrapeptide. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method in claim 12, wherein the tetrapeptide is a straight chain tetrapeptide comprising four amino acids. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method in claim 13, wherein the straight chain tetrapeptide comprises four amino acids selected from the group consisting of Alanine, Aspartate, Glutamate, Glycine, Histidine, Methionine and Tryptophan. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method in claim 13, wherein the straight chain tetrapeptide comprises four amino acids selected from the group consisting of Alanine, Aspartate, Glutamate, Histidine, Methionine and Tryptophan. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method in claim 15, wherein the straight chain tetrapeptide comprises four amino acids selected from the group consisting of Alanine, Glutamate and Histidine. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method in claim 15, wherein the straight chain tetrapeptide comprises four amino acids selected from the group consisting of Alanine, Aspartate, Methionine and Tryptophan. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method in claim 13, wherein the straight chain tetrapeptide comprises four amino acids having at least Glutamate and Histidine. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method in claim 11, wherein the peptide is selected from any one of the following tetrapeptides having a peptide sequence comprising: AlaHisAlaGlu; AlaMetAspTrp; AlaHisGlyGlu; AlaHisHisHis; GlyHisHisHis; GluHisAspHis; HisMetAspTrp; and AspHisAspHis. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The method in claim 11, wherein the peptide is selected from any one of the following tetrapeptides having a peptide sequence comprising: AlaHisAlaGlu; and AlaMetAspTrp. ### Claim 21 (depends on 11) The method in claim 11, wherein the hydrocarbon is methane or ethane. ### Claim 22 (depends on 11) The method in claim 11, wherein the hydrocarbon is methane. ### Claim 23 (depends on 11) The method in claim 11, wherein the catalytic oxidation is performed with water and oxygen gas at ambient temperature and pressure. ### Claim 24 (depends on 11) The method in claim 11, wherein the catalytic oxidation is performed with water and oxygen gas. ### Claim 25 (depends on 11) The method in claim 11, wherein the catalytic oxidation is performed at ambient temperature and pressure. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The method in claim 24, wherein the water is distilled or heavy water (D2O). ### Claim 27 (depends on 21) The method in claim 21, wherein the methane is catalytically oxidized to methanol. ### Claim 28 (depends on 21) The method in claim 21, wherein the ethane is catalytically oxidized to ethanol.