A new phenomenon in the induction period of the methane dehydroaromatization reaction

Abstract

The induction period of dehydroaromatization of methane to benzene over Mo/HZSM-5 had been investigated in real-time by the resonant-enhanced two-photon ionization (RE2PI) technique; it is remarkable that there is a small amount of benzene formed in the early stage of the induction period; we suggest that the trace amount of benzene was caused by the reduction of the original Mo⁶⁺ ion during the induction period and the Mo⁶⁺ species has a slight catalytic activity for methane–benzene conversion.