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Updated: Feb 1, 2026

Organic Structure-directing Agent-free Synthesis for *BEA-type Zeolite Membrane
Published on: February 22, 2020
Direct Methylation of Benzene with Methane Catalyzed by Co/MFI Zeolite
Koshiro Nakamura1, Akihito Okuda1, Kiyotaka Ohta1
1Center for Research on Green Sustainable Chemistry Tottori University 4-101 Koyama-cho Minami Tottori 680-8552 Japan.
Abstract:
Cobalt-loaded MFI zeolite showed distinct activity for direct methylation of benzene with methane into toluene. High activity was found at around 0.6 of Co/Al molar ratio. Incorporation of carbon from methane into the methyl group of toluene was confirmed with isotope tracer experiments and mass spectroscopy. Ammonia infrared-mass spectroscopy temperature-programmed desorption, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy and extended X-ray absorption fine structure indicated that Lewis acidic divalent (+II of oxidation state) Co species mono-atomically dispersed on the ion exchange site of MFI zeolite was the active species.
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