What Are the Key Mechanisms of Methane Activation?
Several mechanisms have been proposed for methane activation, including:
Heterolytic cleavage: Involves the separation of methane into a proton (H+) and a methyl anion (CH3-). Homolytic cleavage: Involves the breaking of the C-H bond to form two radicals. Oxidative addition: Methane adds to a metal center, forming a metal-methyl and metal-hydride species.
