Cation effects in the oxidative dehydrogenation of methane on sulphates

Abstract

The oxidative coupling of methane has been studied on Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba sulphate. The conversions and selectivities are found to be dependent on the nature of the cation and to be approximately correlated with their electronegativities, thus implying that the C-H bond scission in CH4, at least with these catalysts, is heterolytic, is rate determining, and further, that the formation of C2+ hydrocarbons is dependent, among other factors, on the concentration of methyl radicals.