ROLE OF OXYGEN IN THE PARTIAL OXIDATION OF METHANE OVER A SAMARIUM OXIDE CATALYST.

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/ja00223a071

Using isotope switching techniques and apparatus identical with that described previously, the authors now report that gas-phase oxygen exchanges rapidly with the Sm//2O//3 lattice oxygen and, in the presence of methane under synthesis conditions, is transferred to the oxygenated reaction products. In this work, pure Sm//2O//3 was used as catalyst, all experiments being carried out after it had been on-stream for 30 min. Examination of the results obtained for the oxygen isotope transients when **1**8O//2 replaced **1**6O//2 in helium or methane (10 percent O//2 in He or CH//4) reveals the following: (1) For the O//2/He case a slow loss of **1**6O//2 and a slow rise of the **1**8O//2 were observed. (2) When the above experiments were carried out under synthesis conditions, i. e. , with methane replacing helium, only small amounts of labeled oxygen appeared in the gas phase, because under these conditions almost complete oxygen consumption occurred. (3) The CO//2 and C//2H//6 formation under synthesis conditions was also studied with **1**3CH//4. 7 Refs.