Oxidative coupling of methane over tin-containing rare-earth pyrochlores

Abstract

Rare-earth pyrochlores of general formula Ln₂Sn₂O₇(Ln = rare-earth) are found to be active catalysts for the oxidative coupling of methane, with enhanced conversion to useful hydrocarbons, particularly ethene, being observed at 1150 K for those rare-earths that exhibit mixed valence behaviour (Ln = Pr, Sm, Eu, Tb, Tm, and Yb).