Binary Rhodium Atom Catalyst for Selective Catalytic Conversion of Methane to Methanol.

Area of Science:

• Catalysis
• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Selective methane to methanol conversion is crucial for industrial applications.
• Monometallic catalysts face challenges in balancing yield and selectivity.
• Over-oxidation to unwanted byproducts is a common issue.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel catalytic strategy for efficient and selective methane to methanol conversion.
• To investigate the role of binary rhodium species anchored on SBA-15.
• To understand the reaction mechanism and active site formation.

Main Methods:

• Anchoring binary rhodium species onto an SBA-15 support.
• Characterization of catalyst surface dispersion and defect sites.
• Analysis of reaction intermediates and adsorption states.
• Methane oxidation reaction studies under controlled conditions.

Main Results:

• Achieved a significant methanol yield of 4360 μmol·g_cat^-1·h^-1.
• Demonstrated excellent liquid-phase selectivity of approximately 99%.
• Identified Rh-O-Rh sites facilitating charge transfer and CO adsorption.
• Methane activation at Rh-O sites leads to *CH₃OH formation and desorption.

Conclusions:

• Binary rhodium species on SBA-15 effectively catalyze methane to methanol conversion.
• The catalyst design optimizes surface dispersion and active site formation.
• Understanding adsorption states and intermediate interactions is key to selectivity.