The enormous scale of methane reserves has motivated significant research activities focused on its conversion to fuels and chemicals. Since large amounts of natural gas are located in remote areas and transporting gases in pipelines is difficult, processes for producing denser products are desirable.<br/>To address this challenge, we developed catalysts that are capable of activating the C-H bond in methane. The surface methyl groups formed by this activation step can undergo surface reaction that lead to the formation of higher alkyl chains. Finally, the surface alkyl groups can be converted into alcohols in the presence of steam. The identification of promising catalysts and suitable reaction conditions will be discussed. Spectroscopic studies are performed to identify the active sites for different steps of the reaction mechanism.

Activation, coupling, and selective oxidation of methane

251st National Meeting (2016)

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