Enhancement and limits of the selective oxidation of methane to formaldehyde over V-SBA-15: Influence of water cofeed and product decomposition

The possibility of a selective catalytic oxidation of methane to formaldehyde has been known for decades, and positive influences of water added to the reaction mixture and ultra-short contact times have been reported. In the present work, the complexity of interdependencies has been revealed. Specific parameter variations can increase conversion and selectivity of the target product. Surprisingly, formaldehyde formation over VOx species and its decomposition in gas phase were equally dependent on the partial pressure of the added water, so that the sweet spot can only be found by varying the residence time. © 2021 The Author(s