Steam reforming of methane (SRM) is a commonly used approach in industry to produce synthesis gas, which is a critical raw material for downstream chemical reactions. Despite its significance and wide applications, SRM still faces a major challenge: the high energy consumption due to the high temperature required to activate the inert C-H bond. In our project, we have achieved the selective oxidation of CH4 to CO at room temperature through photoelectrochemical (PEC) approach instead of thermochemical method. We observed selective CO production and noticed that its selectivity was sensitive to applied bias, TiO2 substrate type, and light illumination. A mechanism was proposed, supported by a series of spectroscopic approaches, revealing that oxygen radical is the key to activate the C-H bond. Also, the synergistic effect on the adjacent Ti site is critical to CO selectivity.

Selective CO production in CH4 oxidation on TiO2 through photoelectrochemical approach

2019 Spring National Meeting

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