Selective methane photooxidation into methanol under mild conditions promoted by highly dispersed Cu atoms on crystalline carbon nitrides

• Published in: Chemical communications (Cambridge, England) Vol. 58; no. 53; pp. 7419 - 7422
• Main Authors: da Silva, Marcos A. R, Gil, Jéssica C, Tarakina, Nadezda V, Silva, Gelson T. S. T, Filho, José B. G, Krambrock, Klaus, Antonietti, Markus, Ribeiro, Caue, Teixeira, Ivo F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Royal Society of Chemistry 30.06.2022
• Subjects: Carbon; Carbon nitride; Copper; Crystal structure; Crystallinity; Dispersion; Iron; Methane; Methanol; Oxidation; Photooxidation; Transition metals
• ISSN: 1359-7345; 1364-548X
• DOI: 10.1039/d2cc01757a

Here we report a photocatalytic system based on crystalline carbon nitrides (PHI) and highly dispersed transition metals (Fe, Co and Cu) for controlled methane photooxidation to methanol under mild conditions. The Cu-PHI catalyst showed a remarkable methanol production (2900 μmol g −1 ) in 4 hours, with a turnover number of 51 moles of oxygenated liquid product per mole of Cu. To date, this result is the highest value for methane oxidation under mild conditions (1 bar, 25 °C). Here we report a new record of the selective methane photooxidation into methanol under mild conditions promoted by highly dispersed Cu atoms on crystalline carbon nitride, it displayed a remarkable methanol production (2900 μmol g −1 ) in 4 hours.