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Chemistry Forums for Students => Organic Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: shehri on February 24, 2007, 11:04:48 PM

Title: Ethane to Methane Conversion
Post by: shehri on February 24, 2007, 11:04:48 PM

Hi all,

        I've been striving to find a way of coverting Ethane to Methane but in vain.I know how to convert lower Hydro Carbons to Higher ones by first converting them to Alkyl Halydes.Plz. suggest me how to convert Ethane to Methane?Thanks.

Title: Re: Ethane to Methane Conversion
Post by: Alberto_Kravina on February 25, 2007, 12:28:56 PM

Quote from: shehri on February 24, 2007, 11:04:48 PM

Hi all,

        I've been striving to find a way of coverting Ethane to Methane but in vain.I know how to convert lower Hydro Carbons to Higher ones by first converting them to Alkyl Halydes.Plz. suggest me how to convert Ethane to Methane?Thanks.

Well, I have an idea (maybe there is a simpler method to solve this problem, but however, here's what I suggest...)

Ethane ? Ethene + H₂
Ehtene + O₃ ? CH₂O
CH₂O + LiAlH₄ ? CH₃OH
CH₃OH + HCl ? CH₃Cl + H₂O
CH₃Cl + Mg ? CH₃MgCl
CH₃MgCl + H₂O ? CH₄ + MgOHCl

Title: Re: Ethane to Methane Conversion
Post by: movies on February 25, 2007, 12:49:16 PM

Are you familiar with thermal cracking (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cracking_(chemistry))?  I'm not sure if it works for ethane to methane, but it works for bigger alkanes.

Title: Re: Ethane to Methane Conversion
Post by: Dan on February 25, 2007, 01:27:26 PM

Quote from: Alberto_Kravina on February 25, 2007, 12:28:56 PM

Well, I have an idea (maybe there is a simpler method to solve this problem, but however, here's what I suggest...)

From formaldehyde, you could do a Wolf-Kishner, Mozingo, or Clemmenson reduction. That cuts out a few steps.

Title: Re: Ethane to Methane Conversion
Post by: AhmedEzatAlzawalaty on February 28, 2007, 09:06:49 AM

i think thermal cracking works but on a large scale.

Title: Re: Ethane to Methane Conversion
Post by: Custos on March 01, 2007, 06:47:15 PM

Are you trying to do this for real or is it an intellectual exercise?

You could simply burn the ethane to give CO₂ and water and then reduce the carbon dioxide to methane with hydrogen over a cobalt oxide catalyst. It's a pretty pointless exercise to do in real life, but this way is a two step synthesis - better than the ozonolysis route but not as short as cracking ;)