Cross‐Metathesis of Propane and Methane: A Catalytic Reaction of CC Bond Cleavage of a Higher Alkane by Methane

Methane, a building block for basic chemicals through its incorporation into alkanes: when a methane/propane mixture is passed over a tantalum hydride catalyst at 250 °C, propane is transformed into two ethane molecules through the incorporation of one methane unit. This reaction corresponds to a cross-metathesis of propane and methane (see scheme; Alk=alkyl).