Liquid‐Metal Indium Catalysis for Direct Dehydrogenative Conversion of Methane to Higher Hydrocarbons. Issue 16 (6th June 2017) - Nishikawa, Yuta
Abstract: Catalysts for dehydrogenative conversion of methane (DCM) to higher hydrocarbons are worthy of attention. Indium supported on silica (In/SiO2 ) was found for effective catalyst for the DCM reaction above 1023 K. Products were ethane, ethylene, acetylene, propylene, benzene, toluene, naphthalene and hydrogen. A highest selectivity of sum of products was 96 % at 1098 K and a steady‐state sum yield was 2.1 % with 63 % selectivity at 1173 K. Characterization studies using temperature‐programed X‐ray diffraction (TP‐XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated that the working state of indium catalyst was liquid metal. Effects of reaction temperature on the product distribution and studies of temperature‐programed‐reaction (TPR) indicated that liquid‐metal indium activated methane and selectively converted to ethane. Higher hydrocarbons were produced from ethane in the gas phase without catalyst. Abstract : Indium supported on silica was effective catalyst for the dehydrogenative conversion of methane to higher hydrocarbons (DCM) above 1023 K. A highest selectivity of sum of products was 96 % at 1098 K and a steady‐state yield was 2.1 % with 63 % selectivity at 1173 K. TP‐XRD, TPR and SEM‐EDS data indicated that liquid‐metal indium on SiO2 catalysed the DCM reaction.