Recent advances in heterogeneous catalysis for the nonoxidative conversion of methane

Abstract

The direct conversion of methane to high-value chemicals is an attractive process that efficiently uses abundant natural/shale gas to provide an energy supply. The direct conversion of methane to high-value chemicals is an attractive process that efficiently uses abundant natural/shale gas to provide an energy supply. Among all the routes used for methane transformation, nonoxidative conversion of methane is noteworthy owing to its highly economic selectivity to bulk chemicals such as aromatics and olefins. Innovations in catalysts for selective C–H activation and controllable C–C coupling thus play a key role in this process and have been intensively investigated in recent years. In this review, we briefly summarize the recent advances in conventional metal/zeolite catalysts in the nonoxidative coupling of methane to aromatics, as well as the newly emerging single-atom based catalysts for the conversion of methane to olefins. The emphasis is primarily the experimental findings and the theoretical understanding of the active sites and reaction mechanisms. We also present our perspectives on the design of catalysts for C–H activation and C–C coupling of methane, to shed some light on improving the potential industrial applications of the nonoxidative conversion of methane into chemicals.