Copper- and vanadium-catalyzed methane oxidation into oxygenates with in situ generated H2O2 over Pd/C Original Research Article

Copper- and vanadium-catalyzed oxidation of methane into methyl trifluoroacetate and formic acid with in situ generated H2O2 from H2 and O2 over Pd/C was investigated in trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and/or trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA) as a solvent. Metallic palladium was responsible for the in situ generation of hydrogen peroxide from dihydrogen and dioxygen. Divalent copper hydroperoxide and monoperoxomonovanadate, VO(O2)+, seemed to be related to CH bond activation. The radical chain reaction did not occur in either copper- or vanadium-catalyzed methane oxidation. However, methyl radical appeared to be produced in vanadium system but not in copper system.