Hydrodebromination and Oligomerization of Dibromomethane

CH3Br, like CH3OH in the Methanol-To-Gasoline process, can be readily directly converted to petrochemicals and liquid fuels. CH3Br can be obtained in high yields by the direct bromination of methane using relatively low reaction temperatures and pressure, but with the formation of dibromomethane (DBM) as a primary side product. Here, we report that DBM can be highly selectively converted to higher hydrocarbons and methyl bromide via a catalytic hydrodebromination process. Silica-supported palladium carbide shows a high selectivity for the conversion of DBM to higher hydrocarbons, mainly light olefins. Silica-supported ruthenium has a high selectivity for the conversion of DBM to methyl bromide, which can then be converted to fuels or light olefins. These reactions offer pathways to increase the overall useful product yield of the methane bromination reaction, thus taking an important step toward the potential industrial application of bromine mediated Gas-To-Liquid technology.