Pt/CeO as Catalyst for Nonoxidative Coupling of Methane: Oxidative Regeneration.

Direct nonoxidative coupling is a promising route for methane upgrading, yet its commercialization is hindered by the lack of efficient catalysts. Pt/CeO catalysts with isolated Pt species have attracted an increasing amount of interest in recent years. Herein, we studied the catalytic role and evolution of isolated Pt centers on CeO prepared by flame spray pyrolysis under the harsh reaction conditions of nonoxidative methane coupling. During the reaction at 800 °C, the isolated Pt sites sinter, leading to a loss of the ethylene and ethane yield. The agglomerated Pt can be redispersed by using an regeneration strategy in oxygen. We found that isolated Pt centers are able to activate methane only at the initial reaction stage, and the CePt alloy acts as the active phase in the prolonged reaction.