Question

How will you bring about following conversions:
(a) Methane to methanol.
(b) Ethane to ethanol (acetaldehyde).
(c) Methane to methanoic acid.

Answer 1

(a) Methane can be converted into methanol by passing a mix of methane and oxygen (mixed in the ratio 9:1) through hot copper tubes at 200^oC.

$2{\mathrm{CH}}_4+{\mathrm{O}}_2\underset{{200}^{\mathrm{o}}\mathrm{C}}{\overset{\mathrm{Cu}}{\to }}2{\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{OH}$

(b) Ethane can be converted into ethanol by passing a mix of ethane and oxygen (mixed in the ratio 9:1) through hot copper tubes at 200^oC.

$2{\mathrm{C}}_2{\mathrm{H}}_6+{\mathrm{O}}_2\underset{{200}^{\mathrm{o}}\mathrm{C}}{\overset{\mathrm{Cu}}{\to }}2{\mathrm{CH}}_3{\mathrm{CH}}_2\mathrm{OH}$

(c) Methane can be converted into methanol by passing a mix of methane and oxygen (mixed in the ratio 9:1) through hot copper tubes at 200^oC. Methanol, on further oxidation in the presence of potassium dichromate, will yield methanoic acid.

$$\begin{gathered} 2{\mathrm{CH}}_4+{\mathrm{O}}_2\underset{{200}^{\mathrm{o}}\mathrm{C}}{\overset{\mathrm{Cu}}{\to }}2{\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{OH} \\ {\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{OH}\stackrel{{\mathrm{K}}_2{\mathrm{Cr}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_7/{\mathrm{H}}^{+}}{\to }\mathrm{HCHO}\stackrel{{\mathrm{K}}_2{\mathrm{Cr}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_7/{\mathrm{H}}^{+}}{\to }\mathrm{HCOOH} \end{gathered}$$