A quantitative multiscale perspective on primary olefin formation from methanol.

The formation of the first C-C bond and primary olefins from methanol over zeolite and zeotype catalysts has been studied for over 40 years. Over 20 mechanisms have been proposed for the formation of the first C-C bond. In this quantitative multiscale perspective, we decouple the adsorption, desorption, mobility, and surface reactions of early species through a combination of vacuum and sub-vacuum studies using temporal analysis of products (TAP) reactor systems, and through studies with atmospheric fixed bed reactors. These results are supplemented with density functional theory calculations and data-driven physical models, using partial differential equations, that describe the temporal and spatial evolution of species. We consider the effects of steam, early degradation species, and product masking due to the inherent autocatalytic nature of the process, which all complicate the observation of the primary olefin(s). Although quantitative spectroscopic determination of the lifetimes, surface mobility, and reactivity of adspecies is still lacking in the literature, we observe that reaction barriers are competitive with adsorption enthalpies and/or activation energies of desorption, while facile diffusion occurs in the porous structures of the zeolite/zeotype catalysts. Understanding the various processes allows for quantitative evaluation of their competing energetics, which leads to molecular insights as to what governs the catalytic activity during the conversion of methanol to primary olefins over zeolite/zeotype catalysts.

Oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane on dynamically rearranging supported chloride catalysts.

Ethane is oxidatively dehydrogenated with a selectivity up to 95% on catalysts comprising a mixed molten alkali chloride supported on a mildly redox-active Dy2O3-doped MgO. The reactive oxyanionic OCl(-) species acting as active sites are catalytically formed by oxidation of Cl(-) at the MgO surface. Under reaction conditions this site is regenerated by O2, dissolving first in the alkali chloride melt, and in the second step dissociating and replenishing the oxygen vacancies on MgO. The oxyanion reactively dehydrogenates ethane at the melt-gas phase interface with nearly ideal selectivity. Thus, the reaction is concluded to proceed via two coupled steps following a Mars-van-Krevelen-mechanism at the solid-liquid and gas-liquid interface. The dissociation of O2 and/or the oxidation of Cl(-) at the melt-solid interface is concluded to have the lowest forward rate constants. The compositions of the oxide core and the molten chloride shell control the catalytic activity via the redox potential of the metal oxide and of the OCl(-). Traces of water may be present in the molten chloride under reaction conditions, but the specific impact of this water is not obvious at present. The spatial separation of oxygen and ethane activation sites and the dynamic rearrangement of the surface anions and cations, preventing the exposure of coordinatively unsaturated cations, are concluded to be the origin of the surprisingly high olefin selectivity.

Studies on the performance stability of mixed conducting BSCFO membranes in medium temperature oxygen permeation.

A permeation study using bare Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2Ox membranes shows that stable oxygen fluxes are only achieved when operating the membrane at temperatures higher than 1023 K and indicates therefore that short contact time membrane reactors will be most suitable for future upgrading of light hydrocarbons.