Gas-phase coupling of methyl radicals during the partial oxidation of methane over transition metal oxide catalysts

Abstract

At a CH₄/O₂ ratio of ca. 3 the LiNiO₂ and NaMnO₄/MgO catalysts generate gas phase methyl radicals as effectively as a Li⁺/MgO catalyst, which indicates that the mechanism for ethane formation over all three catalysts is the same and involves the coupling of these gas phase radicals.