Patent ID: 7915459

Claim:
A process for selective oxidation of hydrocarbons, wherein selectivity is of an unreacted hydrocarbon and not an oxidized hydrocarbon, comprising passing a feed comprising hydrocarbons and an oxidant to a first catalyst zone comprising an activated metal catalyst, at functionalization conditions, to form an effluent comprising selectively oxidized hydrocarbon product and reduced oxidant; separating the selectively oxidized hydrocarbon product from the reduced oxidant; passing the reduced oxidant and a reoxidizer to a reoxidation zone, at reoxidizing conditions, to reform the oxidant; wherein the activated metal catalyst comprises a transition metal selected from the group consisting of Re, Os, Ir, Ru, W, and Rh, where the metal is coordinated to one or more oxidation resistant ligands, and wherein the functionalization conditions comprise a temperature of between 100 and 350 degrees C. and a solvent having an acidity level selected from the group consisting of neutral, basic, and highly basic, thereby producing a selectively oxidized hydrocarbon product.