• • Microwave catalytic reaction mode (MCRM) at 700 °C achieves CH4 conversion of 26.6%, C2–C3 selectivity of 76.5%, and yield of 20.4%, versus 12.3%, 61.9%, and 7.5% in conventional mode (CRM) – a ~2.7-fold yield enhancement, critical for industrial OCM economics.
• • Apparent activation energy is drastically reduced from 173 kJ/mol (CRM) to 27.5 kJ/mol under microwave irradiation, enabling lower operating temperatures and significant energy savings in methane conversion processes.
• • The Mn2O3-TiO2-Na2WO4/SiO2+SiC catalyst demonstrates robust stability for 20 h at 700 °C in MCRM, with CH4 conversion >25% and C2–C3 selectivity >76%, indicating commercial viability for continuous operation.
• • Calcination treatment enhances Mn–Ti interaction, increasing peroxy species (O2^2-) and lattice oxygen (Oγ), which are key to improving OCM reactivity and selectivity, as confirmed by XRD, XPS, O2-TPD, and Raman analyses.