title: The Unique Gas-Phase Chemistry of the [AuO](+) /CH4 Couple: Selective Oxygen-Atom Transfer to, Rather than Hydrogen-Atom Abstraction from, Methane.
abstract: The thermal reaction of [AuO](+) with methane has been explored using FT-ICR mass spectrometry complemented by high-level quantum chemical calculations. In contrast to the previously studied congener [CuO](+) , and to [AgO](+) , [AuO](+) reacts with CH4 exclusively via oxygen-atom transfer to form CH3 OH, and a novel mechanistic scenario for this selective oxidation process has been revealed. Also, the origin of the inertness of the [AgO](+) /CH4 couple has been addressed computationally.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Shaodong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany.|Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130023, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jilai
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schlangen
authors.affiliation: Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany. helmut.schwarz@tu-berlin.de.
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schwarz
keywords: gas-phase reactions; gold oxide; methane; oxidation; quantum chemical calculation