Methane chlorinative coupling

During the high-temperature operation of methane coupling catalysts, a number of components in the multiphase systems (lead, alkalis, chlorine) are susceptible to evaporation. Efforts in the early 1990s have concentrated on the preparation of stable catalyst formulations with increased activity and selectivity.322,345,346... 

The radical coupling reaction can also be effected by chlorination. Benson found350,351 that with short contact times (0.03-0.3 s) above 930°C methane gave... 

The results obtained in the present work permit to propose that the selectivity value obtained by preparing the catalysts from chlorinated precursors can qualitatively be relat to the TPD aft CO2 adsorption. CO2 which is a poison for oxidative coupling is less adsorbed on the catalyst prepared from chlorine containing precursors. Thus chlorine is proposed to stabilize the sites which are active in oxidative methane coupling vdth respect to the poisoning by CO2. 

Warren, B.K. The role of chlorine in chlorine-promoted methane coupling catalysts. Catal. Today 1992,13, 311-320. 

During the chlorination of methane, methyl radicals are generated. Two of these methyl radicals can couple together to form ethane ... 

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