Zeolites Containing Heteroatoms/Metal Nanoparticles for Catalytic Conversion of Light Alkanes

Producing light olefins, oxygenates, and other value-added chemicals starting from light alkanes – the primary components in natural gas and shale gas – has been one of the most studied topics for decades. As yet several challenges, including insufficient catalytic activity under mild conditions, poor selectivity toward object products, and short catalytic lives, still hindered their commercial application. The incorporation of active metallic heteroatoms into the framework of zeolites (forming metallosilicates) or fixation of metal nanoparticles into zeolite crystals (forming metal@zeolites) has emerged as a new series of heterogeneous catalysts, some of which have been demonstrated to be catalytically more active, selective, and stable that steadily outperform the generally supported metals or metal oxides. In this chapter, the development of the strategies for the construction of metallosilicates and metal@zeolite catalysts for the conversion of propane, ethane, and methane is briefly summarized, where the rational preparation and the fundamental principles of optimality of these hybrid catalysts in various reactions are briefly discussed. Finally, a summary and outlook regarding the opportunities for the conversion processes of light olefins using zeolite-based catalysts to meet industrial demands are also presented in the end.