The invention discloses a method for converting alkane to oxygenate which comprises the following steps: (i) contacting an alkane-containing gas with non-metal, regenerable, electrophile ions in a concentrated sulfuric acid medium under conditions sufficient to provide electrophilicly activated alkane and reduced electrophile ions; (ii) contacting said electrophilicly activated alkane with sulfate to form a sulfate ester; (iii) exposing the sulfate ester to hydrolyzing conditions sufficient to convert it to oxygenate; and (iv) collecting the oxygenate.