Characterization of surface carbon formed during the conversion of methane to benzene over Mo/H-ZSM-5 catalysts

Abstract

During the conversion of methane to benzene in the absence of oxygen over a 2 wt% Mo/H-ZSM-5 catalyst at 700 °C, three different types of surface carbon have been observed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy: adventitious or graphitic-like C (284.6 eV), carbidic-like C (282.7 eV), and hydrogen-poor sp-type C (283.2 eV), where the C 1s binding energies for the respective forms of carbon are given in parentheses. Pretreatment of the catalyst at 700 °C in CO also resulted in a strong signal at 283.2 eV; thus, the species responsible for this signal appears to be different from the usual aromatic-type coke. The coke with dominantly sp hybridization is concentrated on the external surface of the zeolite and is responsible for the gradual deactivation of the catalyst.