Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 Catalysis Letters https://doi.org/10.1007/s10562-018-2538-6 Syntheses and Characterization of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on Graphene Sheets: Adsorption-Reaction In Situ DRIFTS of Methane and CO 2 Marcelo Dutra 1  · Martin Schmal 1  · Roberto Guardani 1 Received: 4 July 2018 / Accepted: 28 August 2018 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2018 Abstract Zinc oxide and graphene support as catalyst were synthesized and characterized using diferent techniques. Results showed that graphene presented thermal stability, and maintained its structure under heat treatment at temperatures of 500 °C. TPD He experiments showed decomposition of residual compounds, releasing oxygenated compounds after functionalization of the graphene oxide. The catalyst performance was evaluated for the reaction of CH 4 + CO 2 and O 2 by surface reaction at programmed temperature. We observed the formation of CO, H 2 and H 2 O. However, TPSR and DRIFTS coupled to a mass spectrometer evidenced methane activation on ZnO/rGO-T, due to the evolution of H 2 and CO 2 traces of water and hydrocarbons, such as ethane (C 2 H 6 ). Less sensitive but present was the signal 60, which can be assigned to the formation of acetic acid (CH 3 COOH) at 300 °C. Graphical Abstract Keyword Methane · Carbon dioxide · Graphene · Zinc oxide · Catalysis 1 Introduction The direct conversion of methane and CO 2 into acetic acid and other products has gained attention in recent years due to the improvement potential in terms of atomic economy of the carboxylation reaction (especially in the case of acetic acid production) and the overcoming of the CO production * Martin Schmal schmal@peq.coppe.ufrj.br 1 Department of Chemical Engineering, Escola Politécnica, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Av. Prof. Luciano Gualberto, travessa 3, no. 380, São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil