Akshai Kumar

US Patent:

20150251171, Sep 10, 2015

Filed:

Mar 4, 2015

Appl. No.:

14/638997

Inventors:

Akshai KUMAR - New Brunswick NJ, US
Oleg MORONOV - San Ramon CA, US
Robert J. SAXTON - San Ramon CA, US
Alan S. GOLDMAN - Highland NJ, US

Assignee:

RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY - New Brunswick NJ
CHEVRON U.S.A. INC. - San Ramon CA

International Classification:

B01J 31/22
C07F 15/00
C07C 2/06
C07C 5/52
C07C 5/333

Abstract:

Disclosed herein are processes for dehydrogenation of an alkane to an alkene using an iridium pincer complex. In the dehydrogenation reactions, hydrogen that is co-formed during the process must be removed for the chemical reaction to proceed and to prevent the excess hydrogen from poisoning the catalyst. In one embodiment the process comprises providing an alkane feedstock comprising at least one alkane and contacting the alkane with an iridium pincer complex in the presence of a hydrogen acceptor selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propene, or mixtures to form an alkene product. The processes disclosed herein can accomplish facile, low-temperature transfer dehydrogenation of alkanes with unprecedented selectivities and TONs at a reasonable rate of conversion.