Hydrocarbon synthesis

1. A method of making a hydrocarbon having a carbon number C n , where n≧2, comprising:

forming a halogenated hydrocarbon by allowing a reactant hydrocarbon having a carbon number C m , where m<n, to react with a halogenating agent;

forming a hydrogen halide and a product hydrocarbon having a carbon number C n , where n≧2, by allowing the halogenated hydrocarbon to contact a metal-oxygen cataloreactant;

trapping halogen from the hydrogen halide with the metal-oxygen cataloreactant;

recovering the product hydrocarbon; and

regenerating the metal-oxygen cataloreactant to recover the halogen.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the reactant hydrocarbon comprises methane.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the metal-oxygen cataloreactant is selected from the group consisting of zeolites, doped zeolites, metal oxides, mixed metal oxides, metal oxide-impregnated zeolites, and mixtures thereof.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the metal-oxygen cataloreactant is regenerated with air or oxygen.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein formation of the product hydrocarbon is carried out in a zone reactor.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the halogenating agent comprises molecular halogen.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the halogenating agent comprises bromine.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the halogenating agent comprises an alkyl halide.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the halogenating agent comprises a solid halide.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the halogenating agent comprises a hydrogen halide.

11. A method of making a hydrocarbon having a carbon number C n , where n≧2, comprising:

forming hydrogen bromide and a brominated hydrocarbon by allowing a reactant hydrocarbon having a carbon number C m , where m<n, to react with a brominating agent;

forming a product hydrocarbon having a carbon number C n , where n≧2, by allowing the brominated hydrocarbon to contact a metal-oxygen cataloreactant;

trapping bromine from the hydrogen bromide with the metal-oxygen cataloreactant;

recovering the product hydrocarbon; and

regenerating the metal-oxygen cataloreactant to recover the bromine.

12. A method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the reactant hydrocarbon comprises methane.

13. A method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the metal-oxygen cataloreactant is selected from the group consisting of zeolites, doped zeolites, metal oxides, mixed metal oxides, metal oxide-impregnated zeolites, and mixtures thereof.

14. A method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the metal-oxygen cataloreactant is regenerated with air or oxygen.

15. A method as recited in claim 11 , wherein formation of the product hydrocarbon is carried out in a zone reactor.

16. A method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the brominating agent is selected from the group consisting of bromine, alkyl bromides, solid bromides, and hydrogen bromide.

17. A method of making a hydrocarbon having a carbon number C n , where n≧2, comprising:

(i) forming a hydrogen halide and an alkyl halide by allowing a reactant alkane having a carbon number C m , where m<n, to react with molecular halogen;

(ii) forming a product hydrocarbon having a carbon number C n , where n≧2, by allowing the alkyl halide to contact a metal-oxygen cataloreactant;

(iii) trapping halogen from the hydrogen halide with the metal-oxygen cataloreactant;

(iv) recovering the product hydrocarbon; and

(v) regenerating the metal-oxygen cataloreactant with air or oxygen to recover the halogen.

18. A method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the reactant alkane comprises methane.

19. A method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the molecular halogen comprises bromine.

20. A method as recited in claim 17 , wherein step (i) occurs at an alkane-to-halogen ratio of from 1:10 to 100:1 by volume.

21. A method as recited in claim 19 , wherein step (i) occurs at a temperature of from 20 to 900° C. and a pressure of from 0.1 to 200 atm.

22. A method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the metal-oxygen cataloreactant is selected from the group consisting of zeolites, doped zeolites, metal oxides, mixed metal oxides, metal oxide-impregnated zeolites, and mixtures thereof.

23. A method as recited in claim 17 , wherein steps (i)-(v) take place in a zone reactor.

24. A method of making a hydrocarbon having a carbon number C n , where n≧2, comprising:

(i) forming hydrogen bromide and an alkyl bromide by allowing methane to react with molecular bromine, at a temperature of from 20 to 900° C., a pressure of from 0.1 to 200 atm, and a methane-to-bromine ratio of from 1:10 to 100:1 by volume;

(ii) forming a product hydrocarbon having a carbon number C n , where n≧2, by allowing the alkyl bromide to contact a doped zeolite;

(iii) trapping bromine from the hydrogen bromide with the doped zeolite;

(iv) recovering the product hydrocarbon; and

(v) regenerating the doped zeolite with air or oxygen to recover the bromine; wherein steps (i)-(v) occur in a zone reactor.

25. A method of making a product hydrocarbon comprising:

reacting a halogenating agent with a reactant hydrocarbon having a carbon number C m , where m<n, to form a halogenated hydrocarbon;

contacting the halogenated hydrocarbon with a metal-oxygen cataloreactant to catalyze formation of a product hydrocarbon having a carbon number C n , where n≧2, while halogenating the cataloreactant to form a halogenated cataloreactant;

recovering the product hydrocarbon;

reacting the halogenated cataloreactant with oxygen or air to regenerate the cataloreactant and form a molecular halogen; and

recycling the molecular halogen as the halogenating agent to react with the reactant hydrocarbon.