An international team of researchers, led by scientists at the University of Manchester, has developed a fast and economical method of converting methane, or natural gas, into liquid methanol at ambient temperature and pressure. The method takes place under continuous flow over a photo-catalytic material using visible light to drive the conversion.
[...] Industry has long sought an economical and efficient way to convert methane into methanol, a highly marketable and versatile feedstock used to make a variety of consumer and industrial products. This would not only help reduce methane emissions, but it would also provide an economic incentive to do so.
Methanol is a more versatile carbon source than methane and is a readily transportable liquid. It can be used to make thousands of products such as solvents, antifreeze and acrylic plastics; synthetic fabrics and fibers; adhesives, paint and plywood; and chemical agents used in pharmaceuticals and agrichemicals. The conversion of methane into a high-value fuel such as methanol is also becoming more attractive as petroleum reserves dwindle.
[...] By eliminating the need for high temperatures or pressures, and using the energy from sunlight to drive the photo-oxidation process, the new conversion method could substantially lower equipment and operating costs. The higher speed of the process and its ability to convert methane to methanol with no undesirable byproducts will facilitate the development of in-line processing that minimizes costs.
Journal Reference:
An, Bing, Li, Zhe, Wang, Zi, et al. Direct photo-oxidation of methane to methanol over a mono-iron hydroxyl site, Nature Materials, 2022. (DOI: 10.1038/s41563-022-01279-1)
[Ed's Comment: AC Friendly withdrawn. You can blame you-know-who for the spamming]
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Kell on Friday July 08 2022, @01:11AM (2 children)
... but how fast is the reaction? How much does the catalyst cost? Is it reusable more than once? More than a few times?
If physics has taught me anything, it's that there's no such thing as a free lunch. When things take high temperatures or lots of energy to achieve, they require them for good reasons and only rarely can you side-step the need by being clever. I do hope this is one of those times.
Scientists ask questions. Engineers solve problems.
(Score: 2) by ElizabethGreene on Friday July 08 2022, @03:22AM (1 child)
Add to the list "Is it poisoned by contaminants common in e.g. Natural Gas?"
With the caveat that I'm ignorant of the process for methanation of methanol, I wonder if it would be easier to convert/transport/convert methane to methanol and back than the process of transporting LNG.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 08 2022, @05:00AM
Methane is the smallest and lightest alkane, and has the lowest boiling and melting points. It would be pretty easy to remove any contaminants with the exception of small amounts of ethane and possibly propane.
To the gp, 2CH4 + O2 -> 2 CH3OH is an exothermic reaction but difficult to control. You need to limit the O2 or it simply combusts. You will generally get a mix of oxidation products, CO, CO2, H2O, Soot, leftover C and H in weird combos. It is actually a prime candidate for a catalyst that adds a single O at low temps where the reaction won't run away.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 08 2022, @03:14AM
You may as well just say N1GGER FRIENDLY because you are placing AC posts in that same type of segregated environment.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 08 2022, @10:21AM
This is, should be possible without light.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 08 2022, @12:28PM
It was in the cave right behind the of Killer Rabbit of Catalysis.