Li/MgO with spin sensors as catalyst for the oxidative coupling of methane

Fabrication of Ln2Zr2O7 Fluorite and LnAlO3 Perovskite (Ln = La, Nd, Sm) Compounds to Catalyze the OCM Reaction: On the Temperature-Induced Phase Transformation and Oxygen Vacancy

Through synthesizing Ln2Zr2O7 and LnAlO3 (Ln = La, Nd, Sm) catalysts, the origin of active sites for oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) on A2B2O7 fluorite and ABO3 perovskite compounds has been compared and elucidated. Ln2Zr2O7 catalysts show much better reaction performance than the respective LnAlO3 catalysts at low temperatures (500-600 °C), but the difference will be mitigated significantly above 600 °C. The reaction performance ranks in the order of La2Zr2O7 > Nd2Zr2O7 > Sm2Zr2O7 > LaAlO3 > NdAlO3 > SmAlO3. It is revealed that the unit cell free volume (Vf) plays an important role in affecting the catalytic activity, and the Ln2Zr2O7 catalysts with a disordered defect fluorite phase have inherent oxygen vacancies, which can directly activate gas-phase O2 molecules to generate OCM reactive O2- anions. However, the oxygen vacancies of LnAlO3 with a perovskite structure can only be generated by lattice distortion/transformation above 600 °C. Moreover, Ln2Zr2O7 fluorites have weaker B-O bonds than LnAlO3 perovskites, thus making it easier to generate surface vacancies as well as active O2- sites. The surface alkalinity is intimately relevant to the active oxygen species, which act together to decide the OCM performance on both types of catalysts. Indeed, this explains that LnAlO3 catalysts show much worse performance than Ln2Zr2O7 catalysts below 600 °C, which will be evidently improved at elevated temperatures due to phase transformation.

Oxidative Coupling of Methane for Ethylene Production: Reviewing Kinetic Modelling Approaches, Thermodynamics and Catalysts

Ethylene production via oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) represents an interesting route for natural gas upscaling, being the focus of intensive research worldwide. Here, OCM developments are analysed in terms of kinetic mechanisms and respective applications in chemical reactor models, discussing current challenges and directions for further developments. Furthermore, some thermodynamic aspects of the OCM reactions are also revised, providing achievable olefins yields in a wide range of operational reaction conditions. Finally, OCM catalysts are reviewed in terms of respective catalytic performances and thermal stability, providing an executive summary for future studies on OCM economic feasibility.

Magnesium oxide as a heterogeneous catalyst support

Researchers normally consider MgO as a promising high-surface-area heterogeneous catalyst support, additive, and promoter for many kinds of chemical reactions due to its certain properties, including stoichiometry and composition, cation valence, redox properties, acid-base character, and crystal and electronic structure. The presence of MgO as a support catalyst also modifies the electronic state of the overall catalytic performance by electron transfer between the native catalyst and MgO as support. The influence is clarified by alteration of acid-base properties of the catalyst-supported MgO. Meanwhile, the method, chemical composition, and condition in the preparation of MgO are the important factors affecting its surface and catalytic properties. Therefore, MgO with a high surface area and nanocrystalline structure has encouraging applications for some reactions, including as dry reforming, dehydrohalogenation, oxidative dehydrogenation of butane, nonoxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene, decomposition of CCl

The Role of ESR Spectroscopy in Advancing Catalytic Science: Some Recent Developments

Recent progress is surveyed in regard to the importance of molecular species containing unpaired electrons in catalytic systems, as revealed using ESR spectroscopy. The review begins with studies of enzymes and their role directly in biological systems, and then discusses investigations of various artificially created catalysts with potential human and environmental significance, including zeolites. Among the specific types of catalytic media considered are those for photocatalysis, water splitting, the degradation of environmental pollutants, hydrocarbon conversions, fuel cells, ionic liquids and sensor devices employing graphene. Studies of muonium-labelled radicals in zeolites are also reviewed, as a means for determining the dynamics of transient radicals in these nanoporous materials.

Heterogeneous catalysis

A heterogeneous catalyst is a functional material that continually creates active sites with its reactants under reaction conditions. These sites change the rates of chemical reactions of the reactants localized on them without changing the thermodynamic equilibrium between the materials.

Unpaired electrons as probes of catalytic systems

An overview is provided of the importance of molecular species containing unpaired electrons in catalytic systems, as revealed using ESR spectroscopy. The review aims to demonstrate the considerable extent of scientific progress that has been made in this broad topic during the past few decades. Studies of catalytically active surfaces, including zeolites, are surveyed, and the detection of radical species, formed as intermediates in their reactions, using matrix isolation and spin-trapping techniques. Radical cation formation in zeolites is discussed, and the employment of muon spin rotation and relaxation techniques to study the mobility of labelled radicals in various porous and catalytic media. Among the specific types of catalytic media considered are those for photocatalysis, water splitting, degradation of environmental pollutants, hydrocarbon conversions, fuel cells and sensor devices employing graphene. The review concludes with recent developments in the study of enzymes and their reactions, using ESR-based methods.