Assessment of the current state of research and achievements in the field of catalytic processing of natural gas into valuable chemical products

The review examines the current state of the catalytic conversion of natural gas into valuable chemical products and fuel. The main component of natural gas is methane. Methane conversion processes are of great importance for society because natural gas, along with oil, supplies us with energy, fuel and chemical products. Direct and indirect methods of methane conversion are considered. Direct conversion of methane is often viewed as the holy grail of modern research, since methane molecules are very stable. The review considers the methods of obtaining such compounds as synthesis gas, methanol, ethylene, formaldehyde, benzene, etc. The greatest emphasis is placed on the direct processes of methane conversion, namely on the dehydroaromatization of methane. The catalysts and the conditions for their preparation are considered, the state of active centers is studied, and the mechanism of methane dehydroaromatization is proposed. The reasons for deactivation of the catalysts and methods of their regeneration are also described. This review will help to summarize the latest known achievements in the field of heterogeneous catalysis for natural gas processing.