Effect of Activation Conditions on Cu-MOR Speciation and Catalytic Activity for Light Alkane Conversion: An Operando XAS Study

This study investigates the impact of different activation conditions on the speciation and catalytic activity of copper-modified mordenite (Cu-MOR) for the conversion of light alkanes. An operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) technique was employed to probe the structural changes of Cu-MOR during the reaction. The data obtained from XAS were analyzed using advance analysis techniques such as multivariate curve resolution (MCR) technique, wavelet transform (WT) & EXAFS Fit. The results show that the activation conditions have a significant impact on the copper species present in the catalyst, which in turn affects its catalytic activity. Furthermore, the study reveals that the composition of the zeolite is also a crucial factor in the conversion of light alkanes. Specifically, the results demonstrate that certain compositions of zeolite exhibit significantly higher conversion efficiency for CH4 compared to C2H6. These findings provide valuable insights into the mechanism of light alkane conversion and underscore the importance of optimizing both the activation conditions and zeolite composition for Cu-MOR to achieve improved catalytic performance. These findings have important implications for the design and optimization of Cu-MOR catalysts for industrial applications.