Continuous selective conversion of methane to methanol over a Cu-KFI zeolite catalyst using a water-O2 mixture as the oxygen source.

The continuous catalytic oxidation of methane to methanol on a Cu-KFI zeolite using water-O2 mixture as the oxidant is reported. A high methanol space-time yield of 880.3 mmol molCu-1 h-1 with 83% selectivity is achieved at 450 °C. Isotopic labelling experiments show that both H2O and O2 provide the oxygen source in this catalytic methane-to-methanol conversion reaction.