Production of ethylene with nanowire catalysts

A method for preparing a downstream product of ethylene, the method comprising converting ethylene into a downstream product of ethylene, and the method comprising contacting a mixture comprising oxygen and methane at a temperature below 600° C. with a catalytic nanowire, thereby producing C2 hydrocarbons at a selectivity of greater than 30%, wherein the catalytic nanowire is an inorganic catalytic polycrystalline nanowire having a ratio of effective length to actual length of less than one and an aspect ratio of greater than ten as measured by TEM in bright field mode at 5 keV, wherein the catalytic nanowire comprises one or more elements from any of Groups 1 through 7, lanthanides, actinides or combinations thereof in the form of oxides, hydroxides, oxyhydroxides, sulfates, carbonates, oxide carbonates, oxalates, phosphates, hydrogenphosphates, dihydrogenphosphates, oxyhalides, hydroxihalides, oxysulfates or combinations thereof.

A method for the preparation of a downstream product of ethylene, the method comprising:

• converting methane into ethylene by contacting a mixture comprising oxygen and methane at a temperature below 600° C. with a catalytic nanowire, thereby producing C2 hydrocarbons at a selectivity of greater than 30%;
• and
• oligomerizing the ethylene to prepare a downstream product of ethylene, wherein the catalytic nanowire is an inorganic catalytic polycrystalline nanowire having a ratio of effective length to actual length of less than one and an aspect ratio of greater than ten as measured by TEM in bright field mode at 5 keV, wherein the catalytic nanowire comprises one or more elements from any of Groups 1 through 7, lanthanides, actinides or combinations thereof in the form of oxides, hydroxides, oxyhydroxides, sulfates, carbonates, oxide carbonates, oxalates, phosphates, hydrogenphosphates, dihydrogenphosphates, oxyhalides, hydroxihalides, oxysulfates or combinations thereof.