2023-10-11 18:15:44
The direct conversion of methane into high-value chemicals achievable at room temperature, through the direct use of molecular oxygen, an abundant and low-cost oxidant, is an ideal way to get great benefits from methane.
However, this route has been an insurmountable challenge due to the chemical inertness of methane and the low activity of molecular oxygen.
On the other hand, the typical catalytic conversion of methane requires quite a few steps and usually works at high temperatures (more than 600 degrees Celsius), or with the help of strong oxidants or through other treatments that consume a lot of energy and are complicated to control. These processes often lead to problems such as overoxidation.
Scientists have now managed to carry out the long-awaited direct conversion of methane to methanol, methylene glycol and formic acid, using molecular oxygen and at room temperature (25 degrees Celsius).
To do this, they have used a catalyst based on molybdenum disulfide.
This team responsible for this achievement is made up, among others, of Jun Mao, Dehui Deng and Liang Yu, from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP), attached to the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Researchers have achieved the direct conversion of methane using molecular oxygen and at room temperature. (Image: DICP)
Jun Mao, Dehui Deng, Liang Yu and their colleagues present the technical details of their new process in the academic journal Nature Catalysis, under the title “Direct conversion of methane with O2 at room temperature over edge-rich MoS2.” (Source: NCYT from Amazings)
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