Effects of metal or metal oxide additives on oxidative coupling of methane using Na2WO4/SiO2 catalysts: Reducibility of metal additives to manipulate the catalytic activity

Abstract The oxidative coupling of methane using silica-supported Na 2 WO 4 (Na 2 WO 4 /SiO 2 ) catalysts is observed by adjusting additives in order to understand the roles of additives and to design more efficient catalysts. By observing the effects of additives on the catalytic OCM activity of Na 2 WO 4 /SiO 2 catalysts, the reducibility of metal additives, quantified by the standard reduction potentials, is observed to improve the methane conversion and olefin selectivity, indicating that the active sites of activating methane and dehydrogenating paraffin are identical. The supply of oxygen atoms from more easily reducible additives to tungsten oxide manipulate the OCM activity as described by the standard reduction potentials of the additives. The crystal and electronic structures of the catalysts depend on the additives, which can also be used to adjust the catalytic activity.