The longstanding interest in finding efficient ways to convert methane to methanol has grown in recent years due to the abundance of methane found in natural gas in the United States.
In the hope of harnessing new energy resources, scientists have long been pursuing the goal of directly converting methane into a fuel such as methanol. Until now, this process has required high temperatures, which are expensive to maintain. In addition, the existing process for producing methanol from methane is a multi-stage process that is neither efficient nor economically viable for small-scale applications.
Researchers from the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, Taft University, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have teamed up to study the potential of rhodium-based catalysts for this transformation under milder conditions.
Scientists have developed a new method for converting methane to methanol using rhodium and tested the effectiveness of rhodium catalysts under various conditions. The catalysts produced by relatively simple technologies were used to better convert methane to methanol and acetic acid using oxygen (O2) and carbon monoxide (CO) under mild temperature conditions.
Until now, the direct conversion of methane to liquid methanol has been an unsolved problem in catalysis. But through the use of various test facilities, including Argonne's Advanced Photon Source, scientists have been able to provide new insights into the structure of noble catalysts at the atomic scale. It turned out that they are atomically dispersed rhodium complexes, and not nanoparticles, as previously thought. Using this knowledge, scientists were able to carry out the methane conversion process in less harsh conditions.
As a result of their work, the research team suggested that further research and testing will illuminate the mechanism and pathways of the reaction that will be determined by the new catalyst for methane conversion.
While the research is still far from commercial use, it may inspire scientists to look for new, more efficient methane-forming catalysts.
For reference: methanol is a key raw material (precursor) for the production of a number of chemicals that are then used in the manufacture of products such as plastics, plywood and paints. Methanol can also be used as a fuel in vehicles or reformed to produce pure hydrogen for fuel cells.
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The research results were published in the journal Nature.
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