Gas-phase surface modification to control catalyst structure and yields in methane dehydroaromatization

Methane dehydroaromatization (MDA) is a promising approach for direct methane transformation to aromatics and hydrogen. The benchmark catalyst Mo/H-ZSM-5 struggles to find commercial adoption because of thermodynamically-limited yields and rapid coking on Brønsted acid and molybdenum carbide species, especially on zeolite external surfaces. Here, gas-phase atomic layer deposition (ALD) overcoats H-ZSM-5 external surfaces with SiO₂ or Al₂O₃. NH₃-TPD, HRTEM, and textural properties show that these overcoats exclusively passivate zeolite external surfaces. Under MDA conditions, SiO₂ gives softer coke and increases cumulative benzene yields by 25 %, while Al₂O₃ strongly decreases yields. H₂-TPR and UV–visible and Raman spectroscopy show how the overcoats redisperse the MoO_x precatalysts, especially over multiple deactivation and isothermal oxidative regeneration cycles. Combined with ²⁷Al-MAS NMR, MoO_x redistribution and dealumination are seen as the causes of long-term deactivation over multiple regeneration cycles, and this process continues to occur regardless of the overcoat. Overall, the deposition of a small amount of silica on the outer surface of Mo/H-ZSM-5 reduces the formation of hard coke, which could be regenerated by milder methods such as hydrogen treatment.