How would we make methane from ethane?

1 Answer
May 10, 2017

You have to break a #C-C# bond........

Explanation:

You have to break a #C-C# bond, which is conceivably doable. Then you have to reduce each species to give methane.....This is not really a feasible synthesis.

As an intellectual exercise, we could halogenate:

#H_3C-CH_3 stackrel(NBS, Br_2)rarrH_3C-CH_2Br#

Then eliminate:

#H_3C-CH_2Brstackrel(KOH, Delta)rarrH_2C=CH_2 + H_2O + KBr#

Then oxidize with cleavage........

#H_2C=CH_2 stackrel(CrO_3)rarr2H_2C=O#

And then reduce...........

#H_2C=O + LiAlH_4 rarr CH_4# (and you would need fairly fierce conditions!).

But why would you want to go to all this trouble, when you can simply drill a hole in the ground, and tap off natural gas?