Mechanistic Studies on the Oxidative Coupling of Methane

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/j100295a003

Methane reacts with a mixed Mn-Mg oxide above 800 deg C to give higher hydrocarbons as well as CO2.The selectivity to hydrocarbons decreases with increasing conversion.At low conversion selectivity increases with higher pressure, whereas at high conversion it decreases.Kinetics studies implicate a Rideal-type mechanism wherein methyl radicals are produced at the oxide surface and most of the subsequent hydrocarbon-forming chemistry takes place in the gas phase.A computer model quantitatively accounts for the dependence of selectivity on conversion and pressure.