An Experimental Study of Iron Phosphates as Methane CouplingCatalysts

密歇根大学最近发现了一种新型甲烷偶联催化剂。它们由钼或钒促进的磷酸铁盐组成。该项目的目的是充分描述这些新材料的特性，以促进它们的进一步发展。用振动光谱、X-射线散射、X-射线光电子能谱和电子探针元素分析确定了磷酸铁的活性物种，并优化了催化剂与助剂的关系。这些催化剂作为一种经济手段，有望在温和的条件下将甲烷转化为液体产品(燃料或化学原料)。它们可能适用于天然气目前被浪费的偏远地区，因为没有运输天然气的设施，尽管收集了液体产品。这类遗址的例子有阿拉斯加的北坡、澳大利亚的大堡礁和阿尔及利亚的沙漠田野。

A new class of methane coupling catalysts has recently been discovered at the University of Michigan. These consist of iron phosphates promoted by molybdena or by vanadia. The purpose of this project is to fully characterize these new materials in order to facilitate their further development. Vibrational spectroscopy, X-ray scattering, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electron microprobe elemental analysis are used to determined the active species of iron phosphate and to optimize the relation between catalyst and promoter. These catalysts how great promise as an economical means to convert methane to liquid products (fuels or chemical feedstocks) under mild conditions. They may be practical for use at remote sites where natural gas is presently wasted because facilities to transport it are unavailable, although liquid products are collected. Examples of such sites are the North Slope of Alaska, the Australian Barrier Reef, and the desert fields of Algeria.