Cu(dppf) complexes can be synthesized from Cu-exchanged solids and enable a quantification of the Cu-accessibility by 31P MAS NMR spectroscopy

Herein, we apply three different copper-exchanged materials (Na-[Al]SBA-15, silica, Na-MCM-22) as hosts for a direct synthesis of CuI(1,1'-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene = dppf) complexes in cationic ion exchange position. Using 31P MAS NMR spectroscopy, we show that identical complexes as after ion exchange are generated if the solids are applied as reactants directly. The homogeneity of copper exchanges is evaluated by EDX spectroscopy. Both CuI and CuII result in the formation of complexes, thereby oxidizing dppf. Cu-particles were not reactive. Optimized conditions for a maximized complex formation are identified applying quantitative 31P MAS NMR spectroscopy and ICP-OES. Only accessible copper in cationic position of the solids forms the complexes. This enables a quantification of the amount of copper in mesopores vs. the total copper amount. Thus, besides a new synthesis of the complex a suitable method for quantitative elucidation of the location of copper cations is demonstrated herein.

Advanced solid-state NMR spectroscopy and its applications in zeolite chemistry

Solid-state NMR spectroscopy (ssNMR) can provide details about the structure, host-guest/guest-guest interactions and dynamic behavior of materials at atomic length scales. A crucial use of ssNMR is for the characterization of zeolite catalysts that are extensively employed in industrial catalytic processes. This review aims to spotlight the recent advancements in ssNMR spectroscopy and its application to zeolite chemistry. We first review the current ssNMR methods and techniques that are relevant to characterize zeolite catalysts, including advanced multinuclear and multidimensional experiments, in situ NMR techniques and hyperpolarization methods. Of these, the methodology development on half-integer quadrupolar nuclei is emphasized, which represent about two-thirds of stable NMR-active nuclei and are widely present in catalytic materials. Subsequently, we introduce the recent progress in understanding zeolite chemistry with the aid of these ssNMR methods and techniques, with a specific focus on the investigation of zeolite framework structures, zeolite crystallization mechanisms, surface active/acidic sites, host-guest/guest-guest interactions, and catalytic reaction mechanisms.

Continuous selective conversion of methane to methanol over a Cu-KFI zeolite catalyst using a water-O2 mixture as the oxygen source

The continuous catalytic oxidation of methane to methanol on a Cu-KFI zeolite using water-O2 mixture as the oxidant is reported. A high methanol space-time yield of 880.3 mmol molCu-1 h-1 with 83% selectivity is achieved at 450 °C. Isotopic labelling experiments show that both H2O and O2 provide the oxygen source in this catalytic methane-to-methanol conversion reaction.

Selective Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Ethane and Propane over Copper-Containing Mordenite: Insights into Reaction Mechanism and Product Protection

Copper(II)-containing mordenite (CuMOR) is capable of activation of C-H bonds in C1 -C3 alkanes, albeit there are remarkable differences between the functionalization of ethane and propane compared to methane. The reaction of ethane and propane with CuMOR results in the formation of ethylene and propylene, while the reaction of methane predominantly yields methanol and dimethyl ether. By combining in situ FTIR and MAS NMR spectroscopies as well as time-resolved Cu K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy, the reaction mechanism was derived, which differs significantly for each alkane. The formation of ethylene and propylene proceeds via oxidative dehydrogenation of the corresponding alkanes with selectivity above 95 % for ethane and above 85 % for propane. The formation of stable π-complexes of olefins with CuI sites, formed upon reduction of CuII -oxo species, protects olefins from further oxidation and/or oligomerization. This is different from methane, the activation of which proceeds via oxidative hydroxylation leading to the formation of surface methoxy species bonded to the zeolite framework. Our findings constitute one of the major steps in the direct conversion of alkanes to important commodities and open a novel research direction aiming at the selective synthesis of olefins.

Understanding C-H activation in light alkanes over Cu-MOR zeolites by coupling advanced spectroscopy and temperature-programmed reduction experiments

The direct activation of methane to methanol (MTM) proceeds through a chemical-looping process over Cu-oxo sites in zeolites. Herein, we extend the overall understanding of oxidation reactions over metal-oxo sites and C-H activation reactions by pinpointing the evolution of Cu species during reduction. To do so, a set of temperature-programmed reduction experiments were performed with CH4, C2H6, and CO. With a temperature ramp, the Cu reduction could be accelerated to detect changes in Cu speciation that are normally not detected due to the slow CH4 adsorption/interaction during MTM (∼200 °C). To follow the Cu-speciation with the three reductants, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), UV-vis and FT-IR spectroscopy were applied. Multivariate curve resolution alternating least-square (MCR-ALS) analysis was used to resolve the time-dependent concentration profiles of pure Cu components in the X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectra. Within the large datasets, as many as six different CuII and CuI components were found. Close correlations were found between the XANES-derived CuII to CuI reduction, CH4 consumption, and CO2 production. A reducibility-activity relationship was also observed for the Cu-MOR zeolites. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra for the pure Cu components were furthermore obtained with MCR-ALS analysis. With wavelet transform (WT) analysis of the EXAFS spectra, we were able to resolve the atomic speciation at different radial distances from Cu (up to about 4 Å). These results indicate that all the CuII components consist of multimeric CuII-oxo sites, albeit with different Cu-Cu distances.

Mechanistic insight into the effect of active site motif structures on direct oxidation of methane to methanol over Cu-ZSM-5

Direct oxidation of methane to methanol (DMTM), a highly challenging reaction in C1 chemistry, has attracted lots of attention. Herein, we investigate the continuous H2O-mediated N2O-DMTM over a series of Cu-ZSM-5-n zeolites prepared by a solid-state ion-exchange method. Excellent CH3OH productivity (194.8 μmol gcat-1 h-1) and selectivity (67.1%) can be achieved over Cu-ZSM-5-0.3%, which surpasses most recently reported zeolite catalysts. The effect of the active site motif structure on the reaction was systematically investigated by the combined experimental and theoretical studies. It has been revealed that both the monomeric [Cu]+ and binuclear [Cu]+-[Cu]+ sites function to produce CH3OH, following the radical rebound mechanism, wherein the latter one plays a dominant role due to the synergistic effect of neighboring [Cu]+ that can efficiently reduce the N2O dissociation barrier to generate active oxygen for CH4 oxidation. Microkinetic modeling results further show that the dicopper site possesses a much higher net reaction rate (1.23 × 105 s-1) than the monomeric Cu site (0.962 s-1); moreover, H2O can shift the rate determining step from the CH3OH desorption step to the N2O dissociation step over the dicopper site, thereby efficiently favoring CH3OH production and resisting carbon deposition. Generally, the study in the present work would substantially favor other highly efficient catalyst designs.

Methane Oxidation over Cu2+ /[CuOH]+ Pairs and Site-Specific Kinetics in Copper Mordenite Revealed by Operando Electron Paramagnetic Resonance and UV/Visible Spectroscopy

Cu-exchanged mordenite (MOR) is a promising material for partial CH4 oxidation. The structural diversity of Cu species within MOR makes it difficult to identify the active Cu sites and to determine their redox and kinetic properties. In this study, the Cu speciation in Cu-MOR materials with different Cu loadings has been determined using operando electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and operando ultraviolet-visible (UV/Vis) spectroscopy as well as in situ photoluminescence (PL) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. A novel pathway for CH4 oxidation involving paired [CuOH]+ and bare Cu2+ species has been identified. The reduction of bare Cu2+ ions facilitated by adjacent [CuOH]+ demonstrates that the frequently reported assumption of redox-inert Cu2+ centers does not generally apply. The measured site-specific reaction kinetics show that dimeric Cu species exhibit a faster reaction rate and a higher apparent activation energy than monomeric Cu2+ active sites highlighting their difference in the CH4 oxidation potential.

Copper-zeolites Prepared by Solid-state Ion Exchange - Characterization and Evaluation for the Direct Conversion of Methane to Methanol

Direct conversion of methane to methanol (MTM) over Cu-zeolites is a so-called “dream reaction” for the chemical industry. There is still a lot that can be done in order to optimize the reaction by e.g. achieving a deeper understanding of the reaction mechanism and the nature of the Cu-sites. In this study, we investigated a solid-state ion exchange method to incorporate CuI ions into zeolites (MOR, BEA, ZSM-5 and FAU), as a more scalable technique. The solid-state ion exchange led to a Cu/Al ration of about 0.8, however with a heterogeneous distribution of Cu. Regardless, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy still revealed that most Brønsted acid sites were exchanged in all four samples. Further, CH4-temperature programmed reaction experiments showed that some Cu-sites formed were reactive towards CH4, with CuI-MOR and CuI-FAU having the largest CH4 consumption. Ultimately, the CuI-zeolites were tested in the MTM reaction and proved capable of producing methanol, even without the presence of Brønsted sites. A MOR with lower Cu/Al ratio (0.30) was also tested for comparison, and as this sample obtained a much higher productivity than the CuI-MOR with high Cu-loading (0.10 vs. 0.03 molMeOH/molCu), it was demonstrated that some fine-tuning is necessary to obtain the active Cu sites for methane activation.

Recent Insights into Cu-Based Catalytic Sites for the Direct Conversion of Methane to Methanol

Direct conversion of methane to methanol is an effective and practical process to improve the efficiency of natural gas utilization. Copper (Cu)-based catalysts have attracted great research attention, due to their unique ability to selectively catalyze the partial oxidation of methane to methanol at relatively low temperatures. In recent decades, many different catalysts have been studied to achieve a high conversion of methane to methanol, including the Cu-based enzymes, Cu-zeolites, Cu-MOFs (metal-organic frameworks) and Cu-oxides. In this mini review, we will detail the obtained evidence on the exact state of the active Cu sites on these various catalysts, which have arisen from the most recently developed techniques and the results of DFT calculations. We aim to establish the structure–performance relationship in terms of the properties of these materials and their catalytic functionalities, and also discuss the unresolved questions in the direct conversion of methane to methanol reactions. Finally, we hope to offer some suggestions and strategies for guiding the practical applications regarding the catalyst design and engineering for a high methanol yield in the methane oxidation reaction.

DFT Analysis of Methane C-H Activation and Over-Oxidation by [Cu2 O]2+ and [Cu2 O2 ]2+ Sites in Zeolite Mordenite: Intra- versus Inter-site Over-Oxidation

Methane over-oxidation by copper-exchanged zeolites prevents realization of high-yield catalytic conversion. However, there has been little description of the mechanism for methane over-oxidation at the copper active sites of these zeolites. Using density functional theory (DFT) computations, we reported that tricopper [Cu₃ O₃ ]²⁺ active sites can over-oxidize methane. However, the role of [Cu₃ O₃ ]²⁺ sites in methane-to-methanol conversion remains under debate. Here, we examine methane over-oxidation by dicopper [Cu₂ O]²⁺ and [Cu₂ O₂ ]²⁺ sites using DFT in zeolite mordenite (MOR). For [Cu₂ O₂ ]²⁺ , we considered the μ-(η² :η² ) peroxo-, and bis(μ-oxo) motifs. These sites were considered in the eight-membered (8MR) ring of MOR. μ-(η² :η² ) peroxo sites are unstable relative to the bis(μ-oxo) motif with a small interconversion barrier. Unlike [Cu₂ O]²⁺ which is active for methane C-H activation, [Cu₂ O₂ ]²⁺ has a very large methane C-H activation barrier in the 8MR. Stabilization of methanol and methyl at unreacted dicopper sites however leads to over-oxidation via sequential hydrogen atom abstraction steps. For methanol, these are initiated by abstraction of the CH₃ group, followed by OH and can proceed near 200 °C. Thus, for [Cu₂ O]²⁺ and [Cu₂ O₂ ]²⁺ species, over-oxidation is an inter-site process. We discuss the implications of these findings for methanol selectivity, especially in comparison to the intra-site process for [Cu₃ O₃ ]²⁺ sites and the role of Brønsted acid sites.

H2 O-Built Proton Transfer Bridge Enhances Continuous Methane Oxidation to Methanol over Cu-BEA Zeolite

Direct oxidation of methane to methanol (DMTM) is a big challenge in C₁ chemistry. We present a continuous N₂ O-DMTM investigation by simultaneously introducing 10 vol % H₂ O into the reaction system over Cu-BEA zeolites. Combining a D₂ O isotopic tracer technique and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulation, we for the first time demonstrate that the H₂ O molecules can participate in the reaction through a proton transfer route, wherein the H₂ O molecules can build a high-speed proton transfer bridge between the generated moieties of CH₃ ^- and OH^- over the evolved mono(μ-oxo) dicopper ([Cu-O-Cu]²⁺ ) active site, thereby pronouncedly boosting the CH₃ OH selectivity (3.1→71.6 %), productivity (16.8→242.9 μmol g_cat ^-1  h^-1 ) and long-term reaction stability (10→70 h) relative to the scenario of absence of H₂ O. Unravelling the proton transfer of H₂ O over the dicopper [Cu-O-Cu]²⁺ site would substantially contribute to highly efficient catalyst designs for the continuous DMTM.

Copper-Oxo Active Sites for Methane C-H Activation in Zeolites: Molecular Understanding of Impact of Methane Hydroxylation on UV-Vis Spectra

Here, we analyze changes in the optical spectra of activated copper-exchanged zeolites during methane activation with the Tamm-Dancoff time-dependent density functional theory, TDA-DFT, while using the ωB2PLYP functional. Two active sites, [Cu₂O]²⁺ and [Cu₃O₃]²⁺, were studied. For [Cu₂O]⁺, the 22 700 cm^-1 peak is associated with μ-oxo 2p → Cu 3d/4s charge transfer. Of the [Cu₂O]²⁺ methane C-H activation intermediates that we examined, only [Cu-O(H)(H)-Cu] and [Cu-O(H)(CH₃)-Cu] have spectra that match experimental observations. After methane activation, the μ-oxo 2p orbitals lose two electrons and become hybridized with methanol C 2p orbitals and/or H 1s orbitals. The frontier unoccupied orbitals become more Cu 4s/4p Rydberg-like, reducing overlap with occupied orbitals. These effects cause the disappearance of the 22 700 cm^-1 peak. For [Cu₃O₃]²⁺, the exact structures of the species formed after methane activation are unknown. Thus, we considered eight possible structures. Several of these provide a significant decrease in intensity near 23 000-38 000 cm^-1, as seen experimentally. Notably, these species involve either rebound of the separated methyl to a μ-oxo atom or its remote stabilization at a Brønsted acid site in exchange for the acidic proton. These spectral changes are caused by the same mechanism seen in [Cu₂O]²⁺ and are likely responsible for the observed reduced intensities near 23 000-38 000 cm^-1. Thus, TDA-DFT calculations with ωB2PLYP provide a molecular-level understanding of the evolution of copper-oxo active sites during methane-to-methanol conversion.

Identification of Kinetic and Spectroscopic Signatures of Copper Sites for Direct Oxidation of Methane to Methanol

Copper-exchanged zeolites of different topologies possess high activity in the direct conversion of methane to methanol via the chemical looping approach. Despite a large number of studies, identification of the active sites, and especially their intrinsic kinetic characteristics remain incomplete and ambiguous. In the present work, we collate the kinetic behavior of different copper species with their spectroscopic identities and track the evolution of various copper motifs during the reaction. Using time-resolved UV/Vis and in situ EPR, XAS, and FTIR spectroscopies, two types of copper monomers were identified, one of which is active in the reaction with methane, in addition to a copper dimeric species with the mono-μ-oxo structure. Kinetic measurements showed that the reaction rate of the copper monomers is somewhat slower than that of the dicopper mono-μ-oxo species, while the activation energy is two times lower.

Methane Over-Oxidation by Extra-Framework Copper-Oxo Active Sites of Copper-Exchanged Zeolites: Crucial Role of Traps for the Separated Methyl Group

Copper-exchanged zeolites are useful for stepwise conversion of methane to methanol at moderate temperatures. This process also generates some over-oxidation products like CO and CO₂ . However, mechanistic pathways for methane over-oxidation by copper-oxo active sites in these zeolites have not been previously described. Adequate understanding of methane over-oxidation is useful for developing systems with higher methanol yields and selectivities. Here, we use density functional theory (DFT) to examine methane over-oxidation by [Cu₃ O₃ ]²⁺ active sites in zeolite mordenite MOR. The methyl group formed after activation of a methane C-H bond can be stabilized at a μ-oxo atom of the active site. This μ-(O-CH₃ ) intermediate can undergo sequential hydrogen atom abstractions till eventual formation of a copper-monocarbonyl species. Adsorbed formaldehyde, water and formates are also formed during this process. The overall mechanistic path is exothermic, and all intermediate steps are facile at 200 °C. Release of CO from the copper-monocarbonyl costs only 3.4 kcal/mol. Thus, for high methanol selectivities, the methyl group from the first hydrogen atom abstraction step must be stabilized away from copper-oxo active sites. Indeed, it must be quickly trapped at an unreactive site (short diffusion lengths) while avoiding copper-oxo species (large paths between active sites). This stabilization of the methyl group away from the active sites is central to the high methanol selectivities obtained with stepwise methane-to-methanol conversion.

Dioxygen splitting at room temperature over distant binuclear transition metal centers in zeolites for direct oxidation of methane to methanol

Here we demonstrate for the first time the splitting of dioxygen at RT over distant binuclear transition metal (M = Ni, Mn, and Co) centers stabilized in ferrierite zeolite. Cleaved dioxygen directly oxidized methane to methanol, which can be released without the aid of an effluent to the gas phase at RT.

A potential catalyst for continuous methane partial oxidation to methanol using N2O: Cu-SSZ-39

Continuous catalytic methanol production from methane is reported on Cu-SSZ-39 using N₂O as an oxidant. Through optimization of CH₄, N₂O and H₂O partial pressures, a methanol formation rate of 499 μmol_CH3OH g^-1 h^-1 and a methanol selectivity of 34% is achieved.

Theoretical insights into C-H bond activation of methane by transition metal clusters: the role of anharmonic effects

In heterogeneous catalysis, the determination of active phases has been a long-standing challenge, as materials' properties change under operational conditions (i.e. temperature (T) and pressure (p) in an atmosphere of reactive molecules). As a first step towards materials design for methane activation, we study the T and p dependence of the composition, structure, and stability of metal oxide clusters in a reactive atmosphere at thermodynamic equilibrium using a prototypical model catalyst having wide practical applications: free transition metal (Ni) clusters in a combined oxygen and methane atmosphere. A robust methodological approach is employed, where the starting point is systematic scanning of the potential energy surface (PES) to obtain the global minimum structures using a massively parallel cascade genetic algorithm (cGA) at the hybrid density functional level. The low energy clusters are further analyzed to estimate their thermodynamic stability at realistic T, p O2 and p CH4 using ab initio atomistic thermodynamics (aiAT). To incorporate the anharmonicity in the vibrational free energy contribution to the configurational entropy, we evaluate the excess free energy of the clusters numerically by a thermodynamic integration method with ab initio molecular dynamics (aiMD) simulation inputs. By analyzing a large dataset, we show that the conventional harmonic approximation miserably fails for this class of materials, and capturing the anharmonic effects on the vibration free energy contribution is indispensable. The latter has a significant impact on detecting the activation of the C-H bond, while the harmonic infrared spectrum fails to capture this, due to the wrong prediction of the vibrational modes.

Catalytic direct oxidation of methane to methanol by redox of copper mordenite

Catalytic production of CH₃OH by direct oxidation of CH₄ with O₂ was performed using Cu zeolites in a CH₄/O₂/H₂O flow reaction, where Cu-MOR exhibited relatively high CH₃OH production with the redox of Cu(i)/Cu(ii) species.

Catalytic cycle of the partial oxidation of methane to methanol over Cu-ZSM-5 revealed using DFT calculations

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to investigate the catalytic cycle of methane conversion to methanol over both [Cu2(O2)]2+ and [Cu2(μ-O)]2+ active sites in the Cu-ZSM-5 catalyst. The [Cu2(O2)]2+ site is found to be active for the partial oxidation of methane to methanol, and although it has a higher energy barrier in the methane activation step, it involves a very low energy barrier in the methanol formation step (36.3 kJ mol-1) as well as a lower methanol desorption energy (52.5 kJ mol-1). As the [Cu2(O2)]2+ active site is also thermodynamically stable, it may play an important role during methane conversion to methanol. Furthermore, the methane activation step follows the homolytic route and the heterolytic route for the [Cu2(O2)]2+ and [Cu2(μ-O)]2+ active sites, respectively, whereas the methanol formation step follows the direct radical rebound mechanism and the indirect rebound mechanism, respectively. Our calculations further indicate that the electronic properties of the reactive O atoms in the active site influence their reactivity toward methane oxidation. More specifically, the higher the spin density and the more negative the charge of the reactive O atom at the active site are, the lower the energy barrier for methane activation will be; and the more negative the charge of the hydroxyl group in the reaction intermediate during the partial oxidation of methane to methanol is, the higher energy barrier of the methanol formation step will be in the triplet state. Furthermore, we used a larger cluster model to predict the mechanism of the methane activation step and the effect of atomic charge of the O atom at the [Cu2(μ-O)]2+ and [Cu2(O2)]2+ active sites on the energy barriers of partial oxidation of methane to methanol, and the conclusions drawn employing the larger cluster model are consistent with those drawn using the smaller double-5T-ring cluster model. In addition, different from the traditional mechanism for methane activation at [Cu2(O2)]2+, which consists of two transition states, we find that the partial oxidation of methane at [Cu2(O2)]2+ can also occur via a single step by direct insertion of one of the O atoms at the active site into the C-H bond of methane.

Applications of Zeolites to C1 Chemistry: Recent Advances, Challenges, and Opportunities

C1 chemistry, which is the catalytic transformation of C1 molecules including CO, CO₂ , CH₄ , CH₃ OH, and HCOOH, plays an important role in providing energy and chemical supplies while meeting environmental requirements. Zeolites are highly efficient solid catalysts used in the chemical industry. The design and development of zeolite-based mono-, bi-, and multifunctional catalysts has led to a booming application of zeolite-based catalysts to C1 chemistry. Combining the advantages of zeolites and metallic catalytic species has promoted the catalytic production of various hydrocarbons (e.g., methane, light olefins, aromatics, and liquid fuels) and oxygenates (e.g., methanol, dimethyl ether, formic acid, and higher alcohols) from C1 molecules. The key zeolite descriptors that influence catalytic performance, such as framework topologies, nanoconfinement effects, Brønsted acidities, secondary-pore systems, particle sizes, extraframework cations and atoms, hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity, and proximity between acid and metallic sites are discussed to provide a deep understanding of the significance of zeolites to C1 chemistry. An outlook regarding challenges and opportunities for the conversion of C1 resources using zeolite-based catalysts to meet emerging energy and environmental demands is also presented.

The Direct Partial Oxidation of Methane to Dimethyl Ether over Pt/Y2 O3 Catalysts Using an NO/O2 Shuttle

Using a mixture of NO + O₂ as the oxidant enabled the direct selective oxidation of methane to dimethyl ether (DME) over Pt/Y₂ O₃ . The reaction was carried out in a fixed bed reactor at 0.1 MPa over a temperature range of 275-375 °C. During the activity tests, the only carbon-containing products were DME and CO₂ . The DME productivity (μmol g_cat ^-1  h^-1 ) was comparable to oxygenate productivities reported in the literature for strong oxidants (N₂ O, H₂ O₂ , O₃ ). The NO + O₂ mixture formed NO₂ , which acted as the oxygen atom carrier for the ultimate oxidant O₂ . During the methane partial oxidation reaction, NO and NO₂ were not reduced to N₂ . In situ FTIR showed the formation of surface nitrate species, which are considered to be key intermediate species for the selective oxidation.

Active sites and mechanisms in the direct conversion of methane to methanol using Cu in zeolitic hosts: a critical examination

In this critical review we examine the current state of our knowledge in respect of the nature of the active sites in copper containing zeolites for the selective conversion of methane to methanol.

Cu oxo nanoclusters for direct oxidation of methane to methanol: formation, structure and catalytic performance

Cu oxo nanoclusters hosted in microporous solids have emerged in the past decades as promising materials for catalyzing the selective conversion of methane to methanol.