Conversion of CH 4 Catalyzed by Gas Phase Ions Containing Metals.

Methane is an abundant and cheap feedstock to produce valuable chemicals. The catalytic reaction of methane conversion generally requires the participation of multiple molecules (such as two or three CH 4 molecules, O 2 , CO 2 , etc.). Such complex process includes the cleavage of original chemical bonds, formation of new chemical bonds, and desorption of products. The gas phase study provides a unique arena to gain molecular-level insights into the detailed mechanisms of bond-breaking and bond-forming involved in complicated catalytic reactions. In this Review, we introduce the methane conversion catalyzed by gas phase ions containing metals and three topics will be discussed: (1) the direct coupling of methane molecules, (2) the conversion of CH 4 with O 2 , O 3 and N 2 O, and (3) the conversion of CH 4 with CO 2 and H 2 O. The obtained mechanistic aspects may provide new clues for rational design of better-performing catalysts for conversion of methane to value-added products.