New developments in the photocatalytic conversion of methane to methanol

Investigation of direct conversion of methane to transportation fuels has been an on-going effort at FETC for over 14 years. One of our current areas of research is the conversion of methane to methanol, under mild conditions, using light, water, and a semiconductor photocatalyst. Research in our laboratory is directed toward adapting the chemistry developed for photolysis of water to that of methane conversion. The reaction sequence of interest uses visible light, a doped tungsten oxide photocatalyst and an electron transfer molecule to produce a hydroxyl radical. Hydroxyl radical can then react with a methane molecule to produce a methyl radical. In the preferred reaction pathway, the methyl radical then reacts with an additional water molecule to produce methanol and hydrogen. (C)2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.