Process for increasing a mole ratio of methyl to phenyl

A process for increasing a mole ratio of methyl to phenyl of one or more aromatic compounds in a feed, comprising:

• reacting an effective amount of one or more aromatic compounds and an effective amount of one or more aromatic methylating agents comprising at least one of an alkane, a cycloalkane, an alkane radical, and a cycloalkane radical in the presence of a catalyst consisting essentially of a MFI zeolite, an inorganic oxide binder, and an amount of Nickel metal of less than 0.1% by weight based on the weight of the catalyst at a temperature of less than 450° C. to form a product having a mole ratio of methyl to phenyl of at least about 0.1:1 greater than the feed.