Unraveling the Mechanism of Methane Activation on Zn‐Modified Zeolites by Solid‐State NMR

Methane activation on metal‐containing zeolites is a hot topic because of the great potential of the application of these catalysts for the direct transformation of methane to methanol and aromatics under mild conditions. Solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance (SS NMR) spectroscopy is a powerful technique for characterizing small alkane activation and transformation on heterogeneous catalysts. It can provide insights into the different steps of alkane molecule activation that are difficult to assess with alternative methods. In this Concept article, the recent advances in the investigations of methane activation on Zn‐modified zeolites performed with SS NMR are discussed. These studies demonstrate the breadth of information that can be obtained by SS NMR spectroscopy, such as the intermediates formed, the particular Zn species involved, the possible pathways of the alkane activation. The knowledge acquired with SS NMR provides the basis for the realization of the detected conversions of methane in practice.