Photocatalytic and Thermocatalytic Conversion of Methane

Abstract

Methane, a high‐quality fuel and important chemical raw material, is widely used in industrial production and life applications. However, the utilization and conversion rates of methane are low because methane is a very stable hydrocarbon gas. At present, the main industrial route of methane conversion involves thermocatalysis technology operating at high temperature. However, this approach has the disadvantages of high energy consumption, high equipment requirements, and high reaction temperature, resulting in shortened catalyst lifetime. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a new technology that can effectively utilize and transform methane under mild conditions to obtain the target products. As a kind of clean and renewable energy, solar energy has attracted extensive attention, and research on the effective conversion of methane by solar energy has become an important field. Herein, the recent achievements of solar energy in promoting or driving the catalytic conversion of methane are reviewed. The selection and design of photocatalysts used in different photocatalytic methane conversion reactions are focused on, which may provide important guidance for future research on this process. The prospects and challenges of photocatalytic methane conversion are also discussed.