METHOD FOR THE CONVERSION, UNDER MILD CONDITIONS AND IN AQUEOUS MEDIUM, OF GASEOUS AND LIQUID ALKANES INTO CARBOXYLIC ACIDS

摘要

The present invention concerns a new efficient method for the selective transformation, under mild conditions and in aqueous medium, of gaseous (ethane, propane and n-butane) and liquid (n-pentane, n-hexane, cyclopentane and cyclohexane) alkanes into carboxylic acids bearing one more carbon atom, characterized by a single-pot low- temperature (25-60 °C) reaction of the alkane with carbon monoxide in water/acetonitrile liquid medium, either in the absence or in the presence of a metal catalyst, in systems containing also an oxidant (a peroxodisulphate salt).