Metals Inserted into Methane Promise Greater Hydrocarbon Processing Efficiency

Researchers from the University of Arizona (UA; Tucson, AZ) have for the first time observed the insertion of metal atoms, including zinc, into methane gas molecules. Understanding of the process could one day form a key step in the commercial production of hydrocarbons. Potential applications include the synthesis of organic compounds for use as pharmaceuticals.   The UA research group is the first to determine the precise structure of this "metal-methane hybrid" molecule, predicted by theoretical calculations but until now never observed. The...

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