This research project addresses the direct catalytic conversion of methane, the primary component of natural gas, to value-added chemical feedstocks. In particular, the research provides fundamental insight into the mechanisms of how two methane molecules couple together to form various molecules with two carbon atoms, the OCM reaction. The project is built on the hypothesis that the active site for OCM by supported Mn/Na2WO4/SiO2 catalysts is an isolated surface WOx species anchored to the silica support. The investigators' preliminary studies have identified, for the first time, the presence of unpromoted and promoted isolated surface WOx sites during OCM that catalyze this reaction. The objectives of the project are to (1) establish the fundamental catalyst structure-activity relationships by application of modern in situ and operando spectroscopy during OCM combined with kinetic studies and density functional theory (DFT), and (2) apply the new fundamental insights to guide rational design of advanced active and selective OCM catalysts functioning at lower temperatures. This project is in collaboration with Prof. Israel Wachs at Lehigh University.