IP Library Granted Patent US 9,604,890
Granted Patent B2
US 9,604,890 · App. 14/900,621 · Granted Mar 28, 2017

Compositions and methods for hydrocarbon functionalization

Inventors: Thomas Brent Gunnoe (Palmyra, VA); George Fortman (Phoenixville, PA); Nicholas C. Boaz (Ewing, NJ); John T. Groves (Princeton, NJ)
Assignees: The Trustees of Princeton University; University of Virginia Patent Foundation
C07C29/00B01J19/24C07C17/00C07C19/00C07C29/147C07C67/035C10L1/02B01J2219/00051B01J2219/24C07C29/03C07C2102/42C07C2103/74
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,604,890
App. No.
14/900,621
Granted
Mar 28, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for methods of hydrocarbon functionalization, methods and systems for converting a hydrocarbon into a compound including at least one group ((e.g., hydroxyl group) (e.g., methane to methanol)), functionalized hydrocarbons, and the like.

Claims (22)

1. A method, comprising:

mixing A a X n , an iodine-based compound, and a source of functionalization to form a first mixture, wherein A is selected from the group consisting of: hydrogen, lithium, sodium, potassium, beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, transition metals, aluminum, gallium, thallium, indium, tin, sulfur, ammonium (NH 4 + ), alkylammonium, phosphonium (PH 4 + ), alkylphosphonium, arylphosphonium, or trimethyl sulfonium ([S(CH 3 ) 3 ] + ) and a combination thereof, wherein X is chlorine or bromine, wherein subscript “a” is an oxidation state of X and subscript “n” is an oxidation state of A; and

mixing the first mixture with a hydrocarbon in the gas phase to make a functionalized hydrocarbon.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

converting the functionalized hydrocarbon to a compound including at least one group selected from the group consisting of: hydroxyl, halide, carbonyl, and a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the compound is selected from an alcohol or glycol.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the compound is methanol, ethanol, or propanol.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon is selected from the group consisting of: methane, ethane, propane, butane, and a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon is aliphatic.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon is aromatic.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein A a X n is selected from the group consisting of: HCl, NaCl, KCl, CaCl 2 , LiCl, ZnCl 2 , BeCl 2 , MgCl 2 , PCl 3 , NH 4 Cl, CCl 4 , CHCl 3 , transition metal chlorides, main group metal chlorides or organochlorides, or combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the iodine-based compound is selected from the group consisting of: iodate, periodate, iodine oxide, iodosyl (IO + ), trivalent iodine compound, and a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the iodine-based compound is Q(IO 3 ) p , wherein Q is selected from the group consisting of: hydrogen, lithium, sodium, potassium, beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, transition metals, aluminum, gallium, thallium, indium, tin, sulfur, ammonium (NH 4 + ), alkylammonium, phosphonium (PH 4 + ), alkylphosphonium, arylphosphonium, and trimethyl sulfonium ([S(CH 3 ) 3 ] + ), wherein “p” is 1 to 5.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the iodine-based compound is selected from the group consisting of: KIO 3 , Ca(IO 3 ) 2 , Ba(IO 3 ) 2 , Cu(IO 3 ) 2 , NH 4 IO 3 , H 5 IO 6 , KIO 4 , NaIO 4 and NH 4 IO 4 , I(TFA) 3 , I 2 O 5 , [IO] + , [IO 2 ] + , and combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the source of functionalization is selected from the group consisting of: trifluoroacetic acid, trifluoroacetic anhydride, hexafluorobutyric acid, water, sulfuric acid, acetic acid, supercritical carbon dioxide, phosphoric acids, and a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein mixing the first mixture with the hydrocarbon is conducted at an internal pressure of about 15 to 1500 psi and at a temperature of about 25 to 300° C. for about 10 minutes to 5 days.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein A a X n is about 0.2 to 25 weight % of the first mixture, wherein the iodine-based compound is about 2 to 40 weight % of the first mixture, wherein the source of functionalization is about 30 to 95 weight % of the first mixture, and wherein the amount of the hydrocarbon relative to the first mixture is about 0.01 to 20 weight %.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mass of A a X n relative to the source of functionalization is about 0.14 to 10% and wherein the mass of the iodine-based compound relative to the source of functionalization is about 17 to 26%.

16. A system for producing a functionalized hydrocarbon, comprising:

a vessel including A a X n , an iodine-based compound, and a source of functionalization to form a first mixture and a hydrocarbon, wherein A is selected from the group consisting of: hydrogen, lithium, sodium, potassium, beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, transition metals, aluminum, gallium, thallium, indium, tin, sulfur, ammonium (NH 4 + ), alkylammonium, phosphonium (PH 4 + ), alkylphosphonium, arylphosphonium, or trimethyl sulfonium ([S(CH 3 ) 3 ] + ) and a combination thereof, wherein X is chlorine or bromine, wherein “a” is the oxidation state of X and “n” is the oxidation state of A;

wherein the vessel includes a pressure system to pressurize the vessel to about 15 to 1500 psi and a heating system to heat the vessel to about 25 to 300° C.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein A is selected from the group consisting of: hydrogen, lithium, sodium, potassium, beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, aluminum, gallium, thallium, indium, tin, sulfur, ammonium (NH 4 + ), alkylammonium, phosphonium (PH 4 + ), alkylphosphonium, arylphosphonium, or trimethyl sulfonium ([S(CH 3 ) 3 ] + ) and a combination thereof.

Assignments (4)
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Aug 17, 2020
From: UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
To: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Reel/Frame 053516/0598 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 8, 2016
From: BOAZ, NICHOLAS C.; GROVES, JOHN T.
To: THE TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
Reel/Frame 040597/0317 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 8, 2016
From: GUNNOE, THOMAS B.; FORTMAN, GEORGE
To: UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
Reel/Frame 040597/0993 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 8, 2016
From: UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
To: UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA PATENT FOUNDATION, D/B/A UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA LICENSING & VENTURES GROUP
Reel/Frame 040598/0985 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 61839415 · Jun 26, 2013
Provisional Application 61993713 · May 15, 2014
Related Publication 20160145188A1 · May 26, 2016