Partial oxidation of methane by photocatalysis

Methane chemistry is one of the Holy Grails of catalysis. It is highly desirable but challenge to transform methane into value-added chemicals, because of its high C-H bonding energy (435 kJ/mol), lack of pi bonding or unpaired electrons. Currently, commercial methane conversion is usually carried out in harsh conditions with enormous energy input. Photocatalytic partial oxidation of methane to liquid oxygenates (PPOMO) is a future-oriented technology towards realizing high efficiency and high selectivity under mild conditions. The selection of oxidant is crucial to the PPOMO performance. Hence, attentions are paid to the research progress of PPOMO with various oxidants (O 2 , H 2 O, H 2 O 2 and other oxidants). Moreover, the activation of the selected oxidants is also highly emphasized. Meanwhile, we summarized the methane activation mechanisms focusing on the C-H bond that was broken mainly by center dot OH radical, O - specie or photogenerated hole (h + ). Finally, the challenges and prospects in this subject are briefly discussed.(c) 2023 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

Automated summary

Methane chemistry is a significant area of research in catalysis. Converting methane into value-added chemicals is desirable but challenging due to its high C-H bonding energy and lack of pi bonding or unpaired electrons. Photocatalytic partial oxidation of methane to liquid oxygenates is a promising technology for achieving high efficiency and selectivity under mild conditions. The choice and activation of oxidants are crucial for its performance.