Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Vol.104, No.4, 734-740, 2000
Direct methane-methanol and benzene-phenol conversions on Fe-ZSM-5 zeolite: Theoretical predictions on the reaction pathways and energetics
The reaction pathways and the energetics for the direct methane-methanol and benzene-phenol conversions that occur on the surface of Fe-ZSM-5 zeolite are analyzed from B3LYP DFT computations. We propose a reasonable model for "alpha-oxygen", a surface oxygen species responsible For the catalytic reactivities of Fe-ZSM-5 zeolite. Our model involves an iron-ore species on the AlO4 surface site of the zeolite as a catalytic active center and as a source of oxygen. The essential features of the reaction pathways for the methane-methanol and benzene-phenol conversions are identical, especially in bonding characters, In the initial stages of each reaction, methane or benzene comes into contact with the active iron site of the "alpha-oxygen" model, leading to the reactant (methane or benzene) complex. After the initial complex is formed, each reaction takes place in a two-step concerted manner, via neither radical species nor ionic intermediates. The concerted reaction pathway for the methane (benzene) hydroxylation involves an H atom abstraction and a methyl (phenyl) migration at the iron active center. From computed energetics for the reaction pathways, we predict that the benzene hydroxylation should be energetically more favorable than the methane hydroxylation.
Keywords:DIRECT PARTIAL OXIDATION;METAL OXIDE CATIONS;GAS-PHASE;BONDACTIVATION;C-H;ELECTRONIC-STRUCTURE;2-STATE REACTIVITY;N2ODECOMPOSITION;NITROUS-OXIDE;BARE FEO+