Formation of active phase of the catalyst for the reaction of methane aromatization

The behavior of different species during the temperature-programmed surface reaction (TPSR) of methane over various catalysts is traced by an on-line mass spectrometer. It is demonstrated that the transformation of MoO3 to mo lybdenum carbide hinders the activation of methane as well as the succeedin g aromatization in the TPSR. If this transformation process is done before the reaction, the temperature needed for methane activation and benzene for mation will be greatly lowered (760 K and 847 K, respectively). It is stron gly suggested that molybdenum carbide is one of the active center of this c atalytic process.