Partial oxidation of methane with N2O over Fe2(MoO4)3 catalyst

The product distributions for partial oxidation of methane on Fe₂(MoO₄)₃ catalyst were changed remarkably when the oxidant was switched from oxygen to nitrous oxide. When oxygen was used as the oxidant, the main products were HCHO and CO. However, when nitrous oxide was used, the formation of HCHO was greatly suppressed and C₂ hydrocarbons (C₂H₆ and C₂H₄) were newly produced. The difference in kinetic behaviors between the two reactions using nitrous oxide and oxygen as the oxidant can be explained in terms of the competitive conversions of methyl intermediate into HCHO and C₂H₆. In the case of nitrous oxide as the oxidant, the adsorbed methyl intermediate would be transformed predominantly into C₂H₆ due to a low steady-state concentration of the active oxygen species on Fe₂(MoO₄)₃.