Alkane Activation Initiated by Hydride Transfer: Co-conversion of Propane and Methanol over H-ZSM-5 Zeolite.

Co-conversion of alkane with another reactant over zeolite catalysts has emerged as a new approach to the long-standing challenge of alkane transformation. With the aid of solid-state NMR spectroscopy and GC-MS analysis, it was found that the co-conversion of propane and methanol can be readily initiated by hydride transfer at temperatures of ≥449 K over the acidic zeolite H-ZSM-5. The formation of (13)C-labeled methane and singly (13)C-labeled n-butanes in selective labeling experiments provided the first evidence for the initial hydride transfer from propane to surface methoxy intermediates. The results not only provide new insight into carbocation chemistry of solid acids, but also shed light on the low-temperature transformation of alkanes for industrial applications.