Advances in the production technology for shale gas, which is mainly comprised of methane gas, have triggered intensive studies on catalytic processes for converting methane into various valuable chemicals and fuels. In particular, oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) to C2 hydrocarbons is attracting significant interest because C2 hydrocarbons such as ethane and ethylene are the most widely used chemicals in the world. However, the chemical stability of methane and the thermodynamically favorable formation of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide from methane lead to difficulties in selective conversion of methane into C2 hydrocarbons. Therefore, despite continuous efforts of many researchers to develop an efficient and selective catalyst, any economically viable OCM process has not been commercialized yet. Although Na2WO4/Mn/SiO2 is regarded as the best catalyst for OCM by most researchers, the nature and properties of the active sites is not yet fully understood owing to its complex composition and structure. In our opinion, more fundamental research using catalysts with simpler compositions and structures is needed to develop a commercially viable OCM process. To address these issues, we conduct OCM over various perovskite catalysts, which are well-known not only as stoichiometric materials with simple and definite structures but also as materials with outstanding catalytic activities in various methane conversion reactions. Accordingly, we attempt to identify and discuss the important factors that determine the catalytic performance in OCM. We hope that this study will contribute to the systematic design of high performance catalysts for OCM.

Perovskite catalysts for oxidative coupling of methane

255th National Meeting (2018)

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