Different Efficiency of Zn²⁺ and ZnO Species for Methane Activation on Zn-Modified Zeolite

Understanding methane activation pathways on Zn-modified high-silica zeolites (ZSM-5, BEA) is of particular importance because of the possibility of methane involvement in coaromatization with higher alkanes on this type of zeolites. Herein, two samples of Zn-modified zeolite BEA containing exclusively either small zinc oxide clusters or isolated Zn2+ cations have been synthesized and thoroughly characterized by a range of spectroscopic methods (1H MAS NMR, DRIFTS, XPS, EXAFS, HRTEM) to show that only one of the Zn-species, either Zn2+ cations or ZnO small clusters, exists in the void of zeolite pores. The ability of zinc sites of different nature to promote the activation of methane C–H bond with the zeolite Bronsted acid sites (BAS) has been examined in the reactions of methane H/D hydrogen exchange with BAS and the alkylation of benzene with methane. It has been found that both ZnO and Zn2+ species promote the reaction of H/D exchange of methane with BAS. The rate of H/D exchange is higher by 2 and 3 o...