An official website of the United States government
Abstract Copper‐exchanged zeolites are useful for stepwise conversion of methane to methanol at moderate temperatures. This process also generates some over‐oxidation products like CO and CO2. However, mechanistic pathways for methane over‐oxidation by copper‐oxo active sites in these zeolites have not been previously described. Adequate understanding of methane over‐oxidation is useful for developing systems with higher methanol yields and selectivities. Here, we use density functional theory (DFT) to examine methane over‐oxidation by [Cu3O3]2+active sites in zeolite mordenite MOR. The methyl group formed after activation of a methane C−H bond can be stabilized at a μ‐oxo atom of the active site. This μ‐(O−CH3) intermediate can undergo sequential hydrogen atom abstractions till eventual formation of a copper‐monocarbonyl species. Adsorbed formaldehyde, water and formates are also formed during this process. The overall mechanistic path is exothermic, and all intermediate steps are facile at 200 °C. Release of CO from the copper‐monocarbonyl costs only 3.4 kcal/mol. Thus, for high methanol selectivities, the methyl group from the first hydrogen atom abstraction stepmust bestabilizedawayfrom copper‐oxo active sites. Indeed, it must be quickly trapped at an unreactive site (short diffusion lengths) while avoiding copper‐oxo species (large paths between active sites). This stabilization of the methyl group away from the active sites is central to the high methanol selectivities obtained with stepwise methane‐to‐methanol conversion.
more »
« less
DFT Analysis of Methane C−H Activation and Over‐Oxidation by [Cu 2 O] 2+ and [Cu 2 O 2 ] 2+ Sites in Zeolite Mordenite: Intra‐ versus Inter‐site Over‐Oxidation
Abstract Methane over‐oxidation by copper‐exchanged zeolites prevents realization of high‐yield catalytic conversion. However, there has been little description of the mechanism for methane over‐oxidation at the copper active sites of these zeolites. Using density functional theory (DFT) computations, we reported that tricopper [Cu3O3]2+active sites can over‐oxidize methane. However, the role of [Cu3O3]2+sites in methane‐to‐methanol conversion remains under debate. Here, we examine methane over‐oxidation by dicopper [Cu2O]2+and [Cu2O2]2+sites using DFT in zeolite mordenite (MOR). For [Cu2O2]2+, we considered the μ‐(η2:η2) peroxo‐, and bis(μ‐oxo) motifs. These sites were considered in the eight‐membered (8MR) ring of MOR. μ‐(η2:η2) peroxo sites are unstable relative to the bis(μ‐oxo) motif with a small interconversion barrier. Unlike [Cu2O]2+which is active for methane C−H activation, [Cu2O2]2+has a very large methane C−H activation barrier in the 8MR. Stabilization of methanol and methyl at unreacted dicopper sites however leads to over‐oxidation via sequential hydrogen atom abstraction steps. For methanol, these are initiated by abstraction of the CH3group, followed by OH and can proceed near 200 °C. Thus, for [Cu2O]2+and [Cu2O2]2+species, over‐oxidation is an inter‐site process. We discuss the implications of these findings for methanol selectivity, especially in comparison to the intra‐site process for [Cu3O3]2+sites and the role of Brønsted acid sites.
more »
« less
- Award ID(s):
- 1800387
- PAR ID:
- 10448187
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- ChemPhysChem
- Volume:
- 22
- Issue:
- 24
- ISSN:
- 1439-4235
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- p. 2517-2525
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
Abstract Catalysis ofO‐atom transfer (OAT) reactions is a characteristic of both natural (enzymatic) and synthetic molybdenum‐oxo and ‐peroxo complexes. These reactions can employ a variety of terminal oxidants, e. g. DMSO,N‐oxides, and peroxides, etc., but rarely molecular oxygen. Here we demonstrate the ability of a set of Schiff‐base‐MoO2complexes (cy‐salen)MoO2(cy‐salen=N,N’‐cyclohexyl‐1,2‐bis‐salicylimine) to catalyze the aerobic oxidation of PPh3. We also report the results of a DFT computational investigation of the catalytic pathway, including the identification of energetically accessible intermediates and transition states, for the aerobic oxidation of PMe3. Starting from the dioxo species, (cy‐salen)Mo(VI)O2(1), key reaction steps include: 1) associative addition of PMe3to an oxo‐O to give LMo(IV)(O)(OPMe3) (2); 2) OPMe3dissociation from2to produce mono‐oxo complex (cy‐salen)Mo(IV)O (3); 3) stepwise O2association with3via superoxo species (cy‐salen)Mo(V)(O)(η1‐O2) (4) to form the oxo‐peroxo intermediate (cy‐salen)Mo(VI)(O)(η2‐O2) (5); 4) theO‐transfer reaction of PMe3with oxo‐peroxo species5at the oxo‐group, rather than the peroxo unit leading, after OPMe3dissociation, to a monoperoxo species, (cy‐salen)Mo(IV)(η2‐O2) (7); and 5) regeneration of the dioxo complex (cy‐salen)Mo(VI)O2(1) from the monoperoxo triplet37or singlet17by a concerted, asynchronous electronic isomerization. An alternative pathway for recycling of the oxo‐peroxo species5to the dioxo‐Mo1via a bimetallic peroxo complex LMo(O)‐O−O‐Mo(O)L8is determined to be energetically viable, but is unlikely to be competitive with the primary pathway for aerobic phosphine oxidation catalyzed by1.more » « less
-
Abstract In the past, Cu‐oxo or ‐hydroxy clusters hosted in zeolites have been suggested to enable the selective conversion of methane to methanol, but the impact of the active site's stoichiometry and structure on methanol production is still poorly understood. Herein, we apply theoretical modeling in conjunction with experiments to study the impact of these two factors on partial methane oxidation in the Cu‐exchanged zeolite SSZ‐13. Phase diagrams developed from first‐principles suggest that Cu‐hydroxy or Cu‐oxo dimers are stabilized when O2or N2O are used to activate the catalyst, respectively. We confirm these predictions experimentally and determine that in a stepwise conversion process, Cu‐oxo dimers can convert twice as much methane to methanol compared to Cu‐hydroxyl dimers. Our theoretical models rationalize how Cu‐di‐oxo dimers can convert up to two methane molecules to methanol, while Cu‐di‐hydroxyl dimers can convert only one methane molecule to methanol per catalytic cycle. These findings imply that in Cu clusters, at least one oxo group or two hydroxyl groups are needed to convert one methane molecule to methanol per cycle. This simple structure–activity relationship allows to intuitively understand the potential of small oxygenated or hydroxylated transition metal clusters to convert methane to methanol.more » « less
-
The formation and reactivities of [Cu–O–M] 2+ species (M = Ti–Cu, Zr–Mo and Ru–Ag) in metal-exchanged zeolites, as well as stabilities of these species towards autoreduction by O 2 elimination are investigated with density functional theory. These species were investigated in zeolite mordenite in search of insights into active site formation mechanisms, the relationship between stability and reactivity as well as discovery of heterometallic species useful for isothermal methane-to-methanol conversion (MMC). Several [Cu–O–M] 2+ species (M = Ti–Cr and Zr–Mo) are substantially more stable than [Cu 2 O] 2+ . Other [Cu–O–M] 2+ species, (M = Mn–Ni and Ru–Ag) have similar formation energies to [Cu 2 O] 2+ , to within ±10 kcal mol −1 . Interestingly, only [Cu–O–Ag] 2+ is more active for methane activation than [Cu 2 O] 2+ . [Cu–O–Ag] 2+ is however more susceptible to O 2 elimination. By considering the formation energies, autoreduction, cost and activity towards the methane C–H bond, we can only conclude that [Cu 2 O] 2+ is best suited for MMC. Formation of [Cu 2 O] 2+ is initiated by proton transfer from aquo ligands to the framework and proceeds mostly via dehydration steps. Its μ-oxo bridge is formed via water-assisted condensation of two hydroxo groups. To evaluate the relationship between [Cu 2 O] 2+ and other active sites, we also examined the formation energies of other species. The formation energies follow the trend: isolated [Cu–OH] + < paired [Cu–OH] + < [Cu 2 O] 2+ < [Cu 3 O 3 ] 2+ . Inclusion of Gibbs free-energy corrections indicates activation temperatures of 257, 307 and 327 and 331 °C for isolated [Cu–OH] + , paired [Cu–OH] + , [Cu 2 O] 2+ and [Cu 3 O 3 ] 2+ , respectively. The provocative nature of the lower-than-expected activation temperature for isolated [Cu–OH] + species is discussed.more » « less
-
Nonsymmetrical oxygen-bridged binuclear copper centers have been proposed and modeled as intermediates and transition states in several C─H oxidation pathways, leading to the postulation that structural dissymmetry enhances the reactivity of the bridging oxygen. However, experimentally characterizing the structure and reactivity of these transient species is remarkably challenging. Here, we report the high-pressure synthesis of a metastable nonsymmetrical dicopper-μ-oxo compound with exceptional reactivity toward the mono-oxygenation of aliphatic C─H bonds. The nonequivalent coordination environment of copper stabilizes localized mixed valency and greatly enhances the hydrogen atom abstraction activity of the bridging oxygen, enabling room-temperature hydroxylation of methane under pressure. These findings highlight the role of dissymmetry in the reactivity of binuclear copper centers and demonstrate precise control of molecular structures by mechanical means.more » « less
