Non-Oxidative Coupling Reaction of Methane to Ethane and Hydrogen Catalyzed by the Silica-Supported Tantalum Hydride: (SiO)2Ta−H

Silica-supported tantalum hydride, (SiO)2Ta−H (1), proves to be the first single-site catalyst for the direct non-oxidative coupling transformation of methane into ethane and hydrogen at moderate temperatures, with a high selectivity (>98%). The reaction likely involves the tantalum−methyl−methylidene species as a key intermediate, where the methyl ligand can migrate onto the tantalum−methylidene affording the tantalum−ethyl.