Understanding catalyst (de)activation in methane oxidation

We report some recent results on oxidative methane conversion over porous transition metal catalysts. We discuss combustion as well as selective oxidation of methane and the importance of the structure and chemical properties of the transition metal site and the properties of the catalyst support. In situ spectroscopic techniques and reactor studies were employed to develop an understanding of the important parameters influencing methane activation. We observed structural changes in catalysts during time on stream and the activity was influenced by the catalyst properties. This knowledge was demonstrably leading to the development of highly active and stable catalytic systems