Catalytic dehydrocondensation of methane towards benzene and naphthalene on transition metal supported zeolite catalysts: templating role of zeolite micropores and characterization of active metallic sites

The catalytic dehydrocondensation of methane to benzene and naphthalene with a bulky of hydrogen on transition metal supported zeolite catalysts is one of strategies for the catalytic conversion of methane and a challenging topic in heterogeneous catalysis. This paper is dealt with the current progress in catalytic dehydrocondensation of methane towards benzene and naphthalene on transition metal supported zeolite catalysts, in terms of templating role of zeolite micropores and metallic sites on Mo and Re supported zeolite catalysts. The effect of zeolite supports and active metallic phases in conjunction with the reaction conditions are discussed. The results of investigation on the carbonaceous deposits and the synergetic effect between the transition metal components and the zeolite supports, as well as, the active species and reaction mechanisms are revealed by the TPO/XPS/FT-IR/EXAFS and solid NMR studies. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.