Ambient catalyst-free conversion of methane to methanol by water radical cations.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40737405.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.adw0584 and PMC identifier 12309674.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC.
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Abstract
Methane combustion contributes 30% to global warming, making its conversion to cleaner chemicals a critical challenge. Here, we report a catalyst-free ambient conversion of methane to methanol with a remarkable yield exceeding 650 millimoles per hour and a high conversion rate of ~35%, achieved using in situ-generated water dimer radical cations, [Formula: see text] , in a specially designed batch reactor operating under mild conditions. In a single run, the reactor was typically operated for 10 minutes. The atom efficiency for hydrogen in our approach for methanol synthesis is ~67%. Hydrogen gas is the by-product, produced at a rate of over 2 millimoles per hour. Compared to the previously reported catalytic methods, our production yields are up by between 10<sup>2</sup> and 10<sup>6</sup> times depending on the literature method. This breakthrough enables clean, energy-efficient methane conversion without unwanted oxidation by-products, offering substantial environmental and economic benefits beyond combustion.