Catalysis and the Mechanism of Methane Conversion to Chemicals

Dr. Toshihide Baba received his Ph. D. from Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, in 1983. His research interests include catalytic chemistry and physical chemistry to reveal reaction mechanism and catalysis. He is currently Professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology. He published more than 200 articles and contributed to 5 books. He won the Japan Petroleum Institute Award in 2017. Dr. Akimitsu Miyaji received his Ph. D. from Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, in 2004. His research interests include biochemistry and bioengineering of methane monooxygenase, mechanism of molecular recognition and product selectivity of alkane monooxygenase, and oxidative stress due to the oxidation reaction with tyrosinase. He is currently Assistant Professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology. He published 75 articles and contributed to 2 books. He won the Japan Petroleum Institute Award for Encouragement of Research and Development in 2014. He has 13 years of teaching experience at Tokyo Institute of Technology, and 1 year at Shibaura Institute of Technology.

Overview of direct methane conversion to chemicals with C–O and C–C bonds.- Selective production of methanol from methane and molecular oxygen at atmospheric temperature and pressure using methane monooxygenases.- Heterogeneous and homogeneous catalytic partial oxidations of methane to methanol and its derivatives.- Application of biocatalysts for the production of methanol from methane.- C–C bond formation via the condensation of methane in the presence or absence of oxygen.- Conversion of methane to aromatic hydrocarbons.- C–C bond formation via carbocations in the methane conversion under non-oxidative conditions