High throughput experiments on methane partial oxidation using molecular oxygen over silica doped with various elements Original Research Article

Methane oxidation catalysis was measured for each of 43 elements doped in silica prepared by an impregnation method. The loading of each element was 0.1, 1 and 5 mol.% to drastically change the structure of the elements on the silica surface. Isomorphous substitution of an element in silicon was expected at 0.1 mol.% loading, if possible. A small cluster of metal oxide would be formed on the silica surface at 1% loading. Metal oxides can fully cover the silica surface at 5% loading. The catalytic performance was examined at around 773 K with GHSV=4760 h−1. The ratio of CH4/O2 in the feed gas was varied from 90/10, 80/20 and 70/30 at atmospheric pressure. On the basis of the screening results on more than 120 catalysts, the elements suitable for methane selective oxidation were V, Fe, Sc, W, Mo and Os under these conditions.