Methane activation without using oxidants over supported Mo catalysts

The catalytic properties of Mo/HSAPO-34, Mo/H-ZSM-5 and Mo/HY catalysts for methane conversion without using oxidants were compared. Mo/H-ZSM-5 catalyst has the best performance in terms of catalytic activity and stability. This catalyst is very selective for benzene production and the benzene yield is the highest of the three catalysts studied. The catalytic activity and benzene selectivity over the Mo/HSAPO-34 catalyst, however, decreased with increasing time on stream. As the catalyst deactivated, the selectivity to ethene increased. The Mo/HY catalyst is active for methane conversion but rapid deactivation of the catalyst resulted in negligible product yield. These results are discussed in terms of the shape-selectivity effect of the support taking into consideration the high reaction temperature. Preliminary studies on alkali metal doped Mo/HSAPO-34 catalysts showed no observed effect on catalyst deactivation.