C1 Chemistry: Potential and developments

Abstract

C1chemistry based on synthesis gas, methane and carbon dioxide offers many routes to industrial chemicals. The synthesis gas chemistry can be classified into a direct and indirect approach. The present economic climate favours direct routes of CO hydrogenation which retain at least one of the oxygen atoms of the original CO reactant. Potential applications exist for alcohols, acids, anhydrides and esters. Methanol can be considered to be a potential building block representing the indirect conversion route. Based on methanol the synthesis of a variety of chemicals such as acetic acid, ethanol, ethylene glycol, acetaldehyde and many more is feasible. The second part deals with applications of methane in C1chemistry. Principally, two approaches are feasible: methane as feedstock for synthesis gas/ methanol and coupling of methane to Cn products. Finally in the last part potential reactions to utilize CO2as building block for chemicals will be discussed. © 1986 IUPAC