TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preparation: No preparation method is given. Preferred Components: The catalyst further comprises: a sodium dopant; at least one additional doping element of group 2 including beryllium, barium, hafnium or aluminum; an oxide of a rare earth element; at least one doping element of groups 1-16, lanthanides, and/or actinides; a combination of at least two different doping elements; a combination of at least three different doping elements; a combination of at least four different doping elements; a lanthanide oxide doped with an alkali metal and/or an alkaline earth metal; at least one other dopant from groups 3-16; an alkali metal dopant; and an alkaline earth metal dopant. The doping element is a rare earth element, cobalt or gallium, and is groups of 1-4, 8, 13, 14, lactinides and/or actinides or groups of 1-6, 8, 11, 13-15, lactinides, and/or actinides. The doping element, the two different doping elements and the three different doping elements are sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), gallium (Ga), scandium (Sc), yttrium (Y), zirconium (Zr), indium (In), neodymium (Nd), europium (Eu), samarium (Sm), cerium (Ce), gadolinium (Gd), hafnium (Hf), holmium (Ho), thulium (Tm), tungsten (W), lanthanum (La), potassium (K), dysprosium (Dy), cesium (Cs), sulfur (S), zinc (Zn), rubidium (Rb), barium (Ba), ytterbium (Yb), nickel (Ni), lutetium (Lu), tantalum (Ta), phosphorus (p), platinum (Pt), bismuth (Bi), tin (Sn), niobium (Nb), antimony (Sb), germanium (Ge), silver (Ag), gold (Au), lead (Pb), rhenium (Re), iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), thallium (Tl), praseodymium (Pr), cobalt (Co), rhodium (Rh), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iridium (Ir), arsenic (As), lithium (Li), terbium (Tb), erbium (Er), tellurium (Te) or molybdenum (Mo). The combination of two different doping elements is La/Nd, La/Sm, La/Ce, La/Sr, Eu/Na, Eu/Gd, Ca/Na, Eu/Sm, Eu/Sr, Mg/Sr, Ce/Mg, Gd/Sm, Sr/W, Sr/Ta, Au/Re, Au/Pb, Bi/Hf, Sr/Sn or Mg/N, Ca/S, Rb/S, Sr/Nd, Eu/Y, Mg/Nd, Sr/Na, Nd/Mg, La/Mg, Yb/S, Mg/Na, Sr/W, K/La, K/Na, Li/Cs, Li/Na, Zn/K, Li/K, Rb/Hf, Ca/Cs, Hf/Bi, Sr/Sn, Sr/W, Sr/Nb, Zr/W, Y/W, Na/W, Bi/W, Bi/Cs, Bi/Ca, Bi/Sn, Bi/Sb, Ge/Hf, Hf/Sm, Sb /Ag, Sb/Bi, Sb/Au, Sb/Sm, Sb/Sr, Sb/W, Sb/Hf, Sb/Yb, Sb/Sn, Yb/Au, Yb/Ta, Yb/W, Yb/Sr, Yb/Pb, Yb/W, Yb/Ag, Au/Sr, W/Ge, Ta/Hf, W/Au, Ca/W, Au/Re, Sm/Li, La/K, Zn/Cs, Zr/Cs, Ca/Ce, Li/Sr, Cs/Zn, Dy/K, La/Mg, In/Sr, Sr/Cs, Ga/Cs, Lu/Fe, Sr /Tm, La/Dy, Mg/K, Zr/K, Li/Cs, Sm/Cs, In/K, Lu/Ti, Pr/Zn, Lu/Nb, Na/Pt, Na/Ce, Ba/Ta, Cu/Sn, Ag/Au, Al/Bi, Al/Mo, Al/Nb, Au/Pt, Ga/ Bi, Mg/W, Pb/Au, Sn /Mn, Zn/Bi, Gd/Ho, Zr/Bi, Ho/Sr, Ca/Sr, Sr/Pb or Sr/ Hf. The combination of three different doping elements is Nd/Sr/Ca, La/Nd/Sr, La/Bi/Sr, Mg/Nd/Fe, Mg/La/K, Na/Dy/K, Na/La/Dy, Na/La/Eu, Na/La/K, K/La/S, Li/Cs/La, Li/Sr/Cs, Li/Ga/Cs, Li/Na/Sr, Li/Sm/Cs, Cs/K La, Sr/Cs/La, Sr/Ho/Tm, La/Nd/S, Li/Rb/Ca, Rb/Sr/Lu, Na/Eu/Hf, Dy/Rb/Gd, Na/Pt/Bi, Ca/Mg/Na, Na/K/Mg, Na/Li/Cs, La/Dy/K, Sm/Li/Sr, Li/Rb/Ga, Li/Cs/Tm, Li/K/La, Ce/Zr/La, Ca/AI/La, Sr/Zn/La, Cs/La/Na, La/S/Sr, Rb/Sr/La, Na/Sr/Lu, Sr/Eu/Dy, La/Dy/Gd, Gd/Li/K, Rb/K Lu, Na/Ce/Co, Ba/Rh/Ta, Na/AI/Bi, Cs/Eu/S, Sm/Tm/Yb, Hf/Zr/Ta, Na/Ca/Lu, Gd/Ho/Sr, Ca/Sr/W, Na/Zr/Eu/Tm, Sr/W/Li or Ca/Sr/W. The combination of four different doping elements is La/Ce/Nd/Sr, Sr/Sm/Ho/Tm, Na/K/Mg/Tm, Na/La/Eu/In, Na/La/Li/Cs, Li/Cs/La/Tm, Li/Cs/Sr/Tm, Li/Sr/Zn/K, Li/K/Sr/La, Li/Na/Rb/Ga, Li/Na/Sr/La, Ba/Sm/Yb/S, Ba/Tm/K/La, Ba/Tm/Zn/K, Cs/La/Tm/Na, Cs/Li/K/La, Sm/Li/Sr/Cs, Sr/Tm/Li/Cs, Zr/Cs/K/La, Rb/Ca/In/Ni, Tm/Lu/Ta/P, Rb/Ca/Dy/P, Mg/La/Yb/Zn, Na/Sr/lutecium/Nb, Na/Nd/In/K, K/La/Zr/Ag, Ho/Cs/Li/La, K/La/Zr/Ag, Na/Sr/Eu/Ca, K/Cs/Sr/La, Na/Mg/Ti/P, Sr/La/Dy/S, Na/Ga/Gd/Al, Sm/Tm/Yb/Fe, Rb/Gd/Li/K, Gd/Ho/Al/P, Sr/Ho/Tm/Na, Na/Zr/Eu/Ca, Rb/Ga/Tm/Cs or La/Bi/Ce/Nd/Sr. The oxide of a rare earth element: is a metal oxyhydroxide, metal oxyhalide, a metal oxynitrate or a metal phosphate; is a lanthanum oxide, a neodymium oxide, a ytterbium oxide, a europium oxide, a samarium oxide, a yttrium oxide, a cerium oxide, or a praseodymium oxide; and comprises a mixed oxide including Y-La, Zr-La, Pr-La, and/or Ce-La. The Group 13 element is boron, Al, Ga or In. The Group 2 element is Ca or Sr. The rare earth element is La, Y, Nd, Yb, Sm, Pr, Ce or Eu. The alkali metal dopant is Li, Na, K, Rb, or Ce. The alkaline earth metal dopant is Be, Mg, Ca, Sr or Ba. The lanthanide earth oxide comprises lanthanum(III) oxide, neodymium(III) oxide, ytterbium oxide, europium(III) oxide, or samarium oxide. The 2C-selectivity is greater than 60% when the catalyst is employed as a heterogeneous catalyst in the oxidative coupling of methane at a temperature of 750 degrees C or less. The 2C-yield is greater than 10%, preferably greater than 15% when the catalyst is employed as a heterogeneous catalyst in the oxidative coupling of methane at a temperature of 750 degrees C or less. The methane conversion is greater than 30% when the catalyst is employed as a heterogeneous catalyst in the oxidative coupling of methane at a temperature of 750 degrees C or less. The doping element is a promoter. The catalyst is present in combination with a support material. The support material comprises aluminum phosphate, aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide-aluminum oxide, calcium oxide, titanium dioxide, zirconium dioxide, magnesium oxide, silicon dioxide, zirconium dioxide, hafnium(IV) oxide, indium oxide, or silicon carbide. The catalyst comprises calcium lanthanum borate, calcium lanthanum aluminate, calcium lanthanum gallate (CaLaGaO4), calcium lanthanum indium oxide (CaLalnO4), calcium lanthanum aluminum oxide (CaLaAlSrO5), calcium lanthanum aluminum strontium oxide (CaLaAlSrO5), calcium neodymium borate, calcium neodymium aluminate, calcium neodymium gallate (CaNdGaO4), calcium neodymium indinate (CaNdlnO4), calcium neodymium aluminum strontium oxide (CaNdAlSrO4), calcium ytterbium borate (CaYbBO4), calcium ytterbium aluminate (CaYbAlO4), calcium ytterbium gallate (CaYbGaO4), calcium ytterbium indium oxide (CaYblnO4), calcium ytterbium aluminum strontium oxide (CaYbAlSrO5), calcium europium borate, calcium europium aluminate (CaEuAlO4), calcium europium gallate (CaEuGaO4), calcium europium indium oxide (CaEulnO4), calcium europium aluminum strontium oxide (CaEuAlSrO5), calcium samarium borate (CaSmBO4), calcium samarium aluminate (CaSmAlO4), calcium samarium gallate (CaSmGaO4), calcium samarium indium oxide (CaSmlnO4), calcium samarium aluminum strontium oxide (CaSmAlSrO5), calcium yttrium borate (CaYBO4), calcium-yttrium aluminate(CaYAlO4), calcium yttrium gallate (CaYGaO4), calcium yttrium indium oxide (CaYlnO4), calcium yttrium aluminum strontium oxide (CaYAlSrO5), calcium cerium borate (CaCeBO4), calcium cerium aluminate (CaCeAlO4), calcium cerium gallate (CaCeGaO4), calcium cerium indium oxide (CaCelnO4), calcium cerium aluminum strontium oxide (CaCeAlSrO5), calcium praseodymium borate (CaPrBO4), calcium praseodymium aluminate (CaPrAlO4), calcium praseodymium gallate (CaPrGaO4), calcium praseodymium indium oxide (CaPrlnO4), or calcium praseodymium aluminum strontium oxide (CaPrAlSrO5). The rare earth element oxide: is of formulae (Ln14-xLn2xO6) (I) and (La4-xNdxO6) (II). The catalyst comprises metal oxides of formulae CaLnBOy, CaLnAlOy, CaLnGaOy, CaLnlnOy, CaLnAlSrOy and CaLnAlSrOy. The rare earth oxide comprises La-Nd oxide compounds (La3NdO6), (LaNd3O6), (La(1.5)Nd(2.5)O6), (La(2.5)Nd(1.5)O6), (La(3.2)Nd(0.8)O6), (La(3.5)Nd(0.5)O6), and/or La(3.8)Nd(0.2)O6.Ln1, Ln2 = lanthanide element;x = 0-4;Ln = lanthanide or Y; andy = number such that all charges are balanced.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The methane is converted to ethylene via the oxidative coupling of methane reaction. The oxidative coupling of methane is performed at total reaction pressures of 1-10 atm and at a temperature of 700 degrees C or less. EXAMPLE - Equimolar aqueous solutions of strontium nitrate, neodymium nitrate, and lanthanum nitrate were prepared. Aliquots of each solution were mixed together to prepare a desired formulation of LaxNdySrz where x, y and z represent mole fractions of total metal content in moles. A solution of citric acid was added to the metal salt mixture so that citric acid mole/metal mole ratio was 3:1. Ethylene glycol was then added to the citric acid/metal salt solution so that the ethylene glycol/citric acid mole ratio was 1:1. The solution was stirred at room temperature for 1 hour. The solution was placed in a 130 degrees C oven for 15 hours to remove water and to promote resin formation. After 15 hours, a hard dark resin was observed. The resin was placed in a furnace and heated to 500?C for 8 hours. The remaining material was heated to 650 degrees C for 2 hours to yield the catalyst.