Selective light-driven methane oxidation to ethanol

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Catalysis
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Methane upgrading to value-added chemicals, particularly C2 products, is crucial but faces challenges in energy/mass transfer and driving force.
• Existing single photochemical processes for methane conversion are inefficient.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a solar-driven method for methane oxidation to ethanol.
• To overcome the limitations of single photochemical processes by integrating photothermal effects and photocatalysis.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of crystalline carbon nitride (CCN) modified with Cu9S5 and Cu single atoms (Cu9S5/Cu-CCN).
• Utilizing in-situ characterizations to understand the reaction mechanism.
• Employing theoretical calculations to analyze energy barriers.

Main Results:

• Cu9S5 acts as a photothermal hotspot, converting solar energy to heat.
• Cu single atoms facilitate O2 reduction, while Cu9S5 aids CH4 adsorption, activation, and C-C coupling.
• The catalyst demonstrated high ethanol productivity (549.7 μmol g-1 h-1) and selectivity (94.8%).

Conclusions:

• The integrated photothermal and photocatalytic system effectively converts methane to ethanol.
• Cu9S5/Cu-CCN significantly reduces the C-C coupling energy barrier.
• This work offers a sustainable pathway for converting methane into valuable chemicals.