Recent progress in methane dehydroaromatization: From laboratory curiosities to promising technology

Direct conversion of methane to benzene or other valuable chemicals is a very promising process for the efficient application of natural gas. Compared with conversion processes that require oxidants, non-oxidative direct conversion is more attractive due to high selectivity to the target product. In this paper, an alternative route for methane dehydrogenation and selective conversion to benzene and hydrogen without the participation of oxygen is discussed. A brief review of the catalysts used in methane dehydroaromatization (MDA) is first given, followed by our current understanding of the location and the active phase of Mo species, the reaction mechanism, the mechanism of carbonaceous deposit and the deactivation of Mo/zeolite catalysts are systematically discussed. Ways to improve the catalytic activity and stability are described in detail based on catalyst and reaction as well as reactor design. Future prospects for methane dehydroaromatization process are also presented.     

Recent advances in heterogeneous catalysis for the nonoxidative conversion of methane

The direct conversion of methane to high-value chemicals is an attractive process that efficiently uses abundant natural/shale gas to provide an energy supply. The direct conversion of methane to high-value chemicals is an attractive process that efficiently uses abundant natural/shale gas to provide an energy supply. Among all the routes used for methane transformation, nonoxidative conversion of methane is noteworthy owing to its highly economic selectivity to bulk chemicals such as aromatics and olefins. Innovations in catalysts for selective C–H activation and controllable C–C coupling thus play a key role in this process and have been intensively investigated in recent years. In this review, we briefly summarize the recent advances in conventional metal/zeolite catalysts in the nonoxidative coupling of methane to aromatics, as well as the newly emerging single-atom based catalysts for the conversion of methane to olefins. The emphasis is primarily the experimental findings and the theoretical understanding of the active sites and reaction mechanisms. We also present our perspectives on the design of catalysts for C–H activation and C–C coupling of methane, to shed some light on improving the potential industrial applications of the nonoxidative conversion of methane into chemicals.

The direct conversion of methane to high-value chemicals is an attractive process that efficiently uses abundant natural/shale gas to provide an energy supply.     

担载型钴镍金属氧化物催化剂上CH4还原NO反应研究

ＮＯｘ是大气的主要污染物之一,近年来,利用甲烷选择还原ＮＯｘ引起了广泛关注,研究发现,Ｃｏ、Ｍｎ和Ｎｉ离子交换的ＺＳＭ－５分子筛具有较高的活性［１～３］．但金属离子交换的分子筛催化剂有热稳定性差、易失活等缺点．最近已有金属氧化物用作甲烷还原ＮＯｘ反应...     

负载铂催化剂中沸石载体酸性对甲烷两步转化的影响

考察了具有相同金属分散度的Pt/NaY、Pt/HNaY、 Pt/HY、Pt/NaBeta和Pt/HBeta催化剂中沸石载体的酸性对在低温下（≤250 ℃）甲烷两步等温转化反应以及由甲烷解离吸附产生的表面碳物种分布的影响。由甲烷等温两步转化生成的C2+烃类产物的总量随着载体酸性的增加而明显增加;C2～C6产物的分布也发生了变化。由表面碳物种的程序升温加氢结果表明,在各种催化剂上碳物种的形式是相似的,其总量和具有活性的Cα物种的量均因载体酸性增加而增加,反应性也增大。这种因沸石载体酸性变化而引起的载体效应是由金属和载体的相互作用造成负载在酸性载体上铂粒子的贫电子性而引起,即由金属粒子电子性质的变化而引起的催化性质的变化。     

Contemporary Methods for the Direct Catalytic Conversion of Methane

The principal methods for the conversion of methane into useful chemical compounds are discussed. Promising methods include direct nonoxidative dehydrocondensation of methane to aromatic hydrocarbons, oxidative coupling of methane to ethylene, and partial oxidation of methane to oxygenates. In the case of the last reaction the proposed approach makes it possible to compare precisely the selective action of heterogeneous catalysts and to predict that a maximum yield will be obtained in a flow-type reactor with recycling.     

微波诱导甲烷在活性炭/碳化硅上直接转化制C2烃

 在高功率脉冲微波辐照下甲烷可在常压条件下在活性炭/碳化硅和活性炭碳化硅等 三种催化剂上直接转化为C2烃。研究结果表明,当使用合适的微波作用条件时,微波加热与微波 等离子协同作用可使甲烷在多孔碳化硅担载的活性炭催化剂上以很高的转化率和选择性直接转化为乙炔,除单独的微波加热诱导作用和微波等离子催化作用外,转移反应机制可能是微波加热与微波等离子交互作用的具体表现形式,对促进甲烷向乙炔直接转化起了重要作用。     

Pulse reactions of methane, ethane and ethylene over Li-, La- and Sm-promoted MgO catalysts in the presence and absence of free oxygen

Pulse reaction of methane in the presence and absence of free (or gaseous) oxygen and that of ethane and ethylene in the absence of free oxygen over Li−MgO, La−MgO and Sm−MgO (Li or La or Sm/Mg ratio=0.1) have been investigated for elucidating the role of lattice and free oxygen in oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) over these catalysts. No significant role is played by the lattice oxygen from these catalysts in the OCM process. The presence of free oxygen is essential for all these catalysts to be active and selective in OCM process. However, lattice oxygen plays some role in ethane conversion but a very significant role in ethylene conversion over these catalysts.     

Production of a highly dispersed carbon material and hydrogen from natural gas in a microwave reactor with metallic catalysts

Effect of a microwave field on metallic catalysts was studied in the reaction of decomposition of methane into hydrogen and highly dispersed carbon. The dependence of the conversion of methane, yield of carbon, and its composition on the chemical nature of a catalysts and reaction conditions was examined.     

Studies on the Performance and Structure of Supported Catalysts for the Partial

The catalytic properties of several supported metal catalysts on different carriers were studied in the partial oxidation of methane (POM) to syngas. In our experiment, supported noble metal catalysts exhibited better performance than the other supported transition metal catalysts. The catalyst performances were significantly influenced by the d-electron configuration of the active metal components and the dispersion of active metal components on the support. A catalyst with a moderate number of unpaired electrons in the d-orbital of the active metal support without obvious acidity or redox activity (e.g. MgO) was suitable for POM performance. The Rh/SiO2 catalyst was the best in the POM reaction, among those investigated. Reaction conditions apparently also affected the POM performance of the catalyst. The conversion of methane and the selectivity for CO increased with the reaction temperature, and a high CH4/O2 ratio was not beneficial for POM performance.     

Studies on the Performance and Structure of Supported Catalysts for the Partial Oxidation of Methane to Syngas

The catalytic properties of several supported metal catalysts on different carriers were studied in the partial oxidation of methane (POM) to syngas. In our experiment, supported noble metal catalysts exhibited better performance than the other supported transition metal catalysts. The catalyst performances were significantly influenced by the d-electron configuration of the active metal components and the dispersion of active metal components on the support. A catalyst with a moderate number of unpaired electrons in the d-orbital of the active metal support without obvious acidity or redox activity (e.g. MgO) was suitable for POM performance. The Rh/SiO2 catalyst was the best in the POM reaction, among those investigated. Reaction conditions apparently also affected the POM performance of the catalyst. The conversion of methane and the selectivity for CO increased with the reaction temperature, and a high CH4/O2 ratio was not beneficial for POM performance.     

High-temperature methane oxidation over metallic monolith-supported zeolite catalysts containing Mn,Co, and Pd ions

The high-temperature complete oxidation of methane over metallic monolith-supported zeolite catalysts containing isolated Mn, Co, and Pd ions was studied. The reaction involves heterogeneous and heterogeneous-homogeneous catalytic processes. The ratio between these processes depends on the temperature, feed rate, and the amount of catalyst charged in the reactor. In the heterogeneous catalytic process, the activity of the catalysts supported on the Fe—Cr—Al monolithic alloy decreases in the series Pd > Mn > Co > Fe—Cr—Al monolith and the reaction rate uniformly increases with increasing contact time. In the heterogeneous-homogeneous process, the reaction rate drastically increases and a 100% conversion of methane to CO₂ can be achieved by minor variations of the contact time. In this case, methane oxidation depends not only on the catalyst chemical composition but also on its external surface area and the reaction volume.     

On the Role of Vanadia Species for VOx／SiO2 in the Selective Oxidation of Methane

Various VOx/SiO2 catalysts were prepared by the methods of physical mixing, conventional wetness impregnation and ultrasonication-assistant impregnation. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, UV-Vis DRS, Raman, TPR, ESR and TPSR techniques and the nature of the vanadium species were correlated to their catalytic performance in the reaction of direct conversion of methane to formaldehyde. It is concluded that highly dispersed monomeric and low oligomeric vanadia species are formed on the sample prepared with both traditional wetness impregnation method and ultrasonication-assistant impregnation, whereas in the latter case, the amount of oligomeric vanadia species is much smaller. The V2O5 microcrystallines are the dominant species on the material prepared by physical mixing method. During the selective oxidation of methane, Vv species are reduced to V^IV paramagnetic species and both microcrystalline V205 species and oligomeric vanadia species are found to further disperse and transform into tetrahedral vanadia species. Based on the results of UV Raman spectroscopy and TPSR, C02 is suggested to be formed via two different routes, in which one is from the sequence reaction of CH4→ HCHO→ CO → CO2 over monomeric vanadia species, and the other is from the direct oxidation of methane to CO2 over oligomeric vanadia species. Oligomeric vanadia species is more active than monomeric vanadia species for methane activation.     

Highly effective methane conversion to aromatic hydrocarbons by means of microwave and rf-induced catalysis

Conversion of methane to higher hydrocarbon products, in particular, aromatic hydrocarbons has been achieved with good methane conversion and selectivity to aromatic products over heterogeneous catalysts using both high power pulsed microwave and rf energy. For example, under microwave irradiation > 85% conversion of methane and 60% selectivity to aromatics could be achieved. Cu, Ni, Fe and Al metallic materials are highly effective catalysts for the aromatization of methane via microwave heating; however, with a variety of supported catalysts the major products were C₂ hydrocarbons and the conversion of methane was low. The use of sponge, wire and net forms of these metal catalysts was found advantageous in effective methane conversion. The reactions are considered to be free radical in nature and to proceed through an intermediate stage involving formation of acetylene. The influence of catalyst nature and configuration, as well as the microwave and rf irradiation parameters on the reaction efficiency and product selectivity has been examined in both batch and continuous flow conditions.     

流化床中 CH4/C3H8 自热重整制合成气

 在流化床反应器中, 考察了 Ni/SiO2 催化剂上 CH4 或 CH4-C3H8 临氧 CO2 重整 (自热重整) 制合成气反应性能. 结果表明, 在 CH4-C3H8 混合气自热重整反应中, Ni 粒径较小催化剂的活性和抗积炭性能较高, CH4 和 CO2 转化率分别达 75.5% 和 72.6%. C3H8 比 CH4 更易解离及被氧化, 部分 C3H8 解离出来的中间产物 CHx 物种可与吸附 H 结合为 CH4, 因而降低了 CH4 的表观转化率; CHx 也可与吸附的 CO2 物种反应生成 H2 与 CO, 从而促进了 CO2 的转化.     

Effect of CeO2 preparation method and Cu loading on CuO/CeO2 catalysts for methane combustion

CeO2 was synthesized by sol-gel, hydrothermal, nitrate thermal decomposition methods, respectively, and used as support to prepare CuO/CeO2 catalysts. According to characterization and reaction results, preparation method of CeO2 had a great influence on the physicochemical properties and activities of CuO/CeO2 catalysts. CuO with high dispersion and strong interaction with CeO2 was highly active in methane combustion, while CuO particles less associated with CeO2 showed less activity. The CuO catalyst supported on CeO2 which was prepared via nitrate thermal decomposition method showed the largest area, the smallest particle size, the highest dispersion of copper species and strong support metal interactions. Therefore, it presented the highest redox ability and activity for methane combustion. Activities of the catalysts with different copper content kept increasing until 5% Cu loading and from then on kept constant. Moreover, methane conversion decreased as methane space velocities increased on CuO/CeO2 catalyst. Addition of CO2 to the feed did not produce a significant effect on the catalytic activity, but the presence of H2O provoked a remarkable decrease on the activity of CuO/CeO2 catalyst.     

Morphology and Catalytic Properties of Cobalt-Containing Catalysts Synthesized by Different Means

Russian Journal of Physical Chemistry A - Cobalt-containing catalysts are studied via BET, XRD, SEM, and TPR-H2. Their activity in the reaction of carbon dioxide methane conversion and the process...     

Ni/ZrO2催化剂上甲烷水蒸气重整反应的研究

研究了Ni/ZrO2催化剂对甲烷水蒸气重整制合成气的反应性能。考察了催化剂的还原温度、载体焙烧温度以及反应温度、原料配比和空速等对催化剂性能的影响。利用XRD、TEM、XPS等手段对催化剂的织构形貌进行了表征。研究表明，Ni/ZrO2催化剂用于甲烷水蒸气重整制合成气不仅具有较高的活性，也具有较好的稳定性。水蒸气比增加，CH4转化率增大、CO选择性下降。CH4转化率及CO选择性均随空速增大而下降。使用10%Ni/ZrO2催化剂，在650 ℃、空速1.984×104 h－1、原料气配比H2O∶CH4∶N2=2∶1∶2.67的条件下，获得CH4转化率85%、CO选择性70%的结果。     

单原子催化甲烷直接转化的研究进展

将甲烷直接转化(DMC)为高附加值化学品(如甲醇等化合物),是实现天然气高效利用的有效途径.因甲烷结构非常稳定,使其在温和条件下(反应温度≤150℃的非强酸介质体系)的高效活化极具挑战性.近年来,单原子催化剂(SACs)因其活性物种的高利用率和高选择性,已引起国内外研究者的广泛关注,并被尝试应用于多种反应.研究表明,S...     

甲烷在活性炭上裂解制氢研究

在连续流动石英固定床反应器上研究了甲烷在活性炭上裂解制氢的反应，并对反应前后活性炭的比表面积以及孔径分布等的变化进行了测定。结果表明，甲烷在五种活性炭上的裂解行为基本相同，反应初期转化率最高，随着反应进行转化率逐渐降低直至一个平稳的状态；降低甲烷分压和增加甲烷与活性炭的接触时间可提高甲烷转化率；温度的升高有利于初始转化率的提高，但不利于活性炭的稳定性；反应后活性炭比表面积、孔容及微孔孔容都明显降低，平均孔径增大，孔径分布向中孔方向迁移，说明甲烷的裂解导致了活性炭孔特别是微孔内的炭沉积以及进一步的孔堵塞。     

金属有机框架催化甲烷直接转化研究进展

甲烷作为重要的气态化石能源,广泛存在于天然气中.利用非均相催化剂将甲烷转化为液体燃料是天然气全面经济开发的有效策略之一.目前催化剂普遍存在催化速率较慢、效率不高及催化剂难回收的问题.作为较新出现的晶态多孔材料,金属有机框架(MOFs)已被证明在各种功能化纳米材料的设计和合成中是有前途的非均相催化剂或载体/前体.本文系统...