Can we achieve efficient photocatalytic partial oxidation of methane to methanol: A perspective on oxygen reaction pathways

Abstract

As the primary component of natural gas, methane is an essential raw material in chemical industries. Meanwhile, it is also a powerful greenhouse gas that causes severe global warming effects. On-site conversion of methane to value-added chemicals and fuels, especially transportable and storable methanol, is a dream reaction. However, traditional methane oxidation methods will consume huge amounts of energy and lead to carbon emission. Utilizing only renewable solar energy, photocatalysis has attracted increasing interest for methane oxidation to methanol due to its low energy consumption and environmental friendliness. In this work, a perspective on photocatalytic methane oxidation to methanol is proposed by analyzing the oxygen source of methanol, which can be a new strategy to modulate the methane oxidation reaction. It provides a new angle to understand the mechanism of the reaction, and inspirations for optimizing the efficiency and selectivity of methanol production from photocatalytic methane oxidation.