Novel Method for the Oxidation of Aliphatic Hydrocarbons to Alcohols

A novel method for the conversion of hydrocarbons to alcohols using a reaction of gas-phase oxidation by oxygen in the presence of boron trichloride has been developed and described in detail. The reaction represents radical long-chain alkoxylation of boron trichloride. It proceeds at moderate temperatures of 150–180°C and atmospheric pressures of less than one atmosphere, resulting in methane conversion to (CH₃O)_3–nBCl_n (n = 0–2) and ethane conversion to (CH₃CH₂O)_3–nBCl_n (n = 0–2). The hydrolysis of the reaction products generates CH₃OH and C₂H₅OH, respectively. The yield of methanol reaches up to 55% at the conversion of methane of ~15% at the early stages of the reaction. The yield of ethanol is at least 65% of the reacted ethane nearly to the end of the reaction.