Oxidation of methane with oxygen-18. A method for the quantitative investigation of the relative activities of adsorbed and lattice oxygen in metal-oxide catalysts

Abstract

A quantitative description of the activity of lattice and adsorbed oxygen in the metal-oxide catalysed oxidation of hydrocarbons is presented by reference to the conversion of methane to carbon dioxide and water in the presence of gaseous oxygen-18 and oxygen-16 catalysts. Based on the isotopic content of both products and the isotopic distribution in carbon dioxide, kinetic expressions are derived from which may be calculated the relative activities of both lattice and adsorbed forms of oxygen for the oxidation of the separate carbon and hydrogen components in methane.