Issue 13, 2021

A single-stage partial oxidation of methane to methanol: a step forward in the synthesis of oxygenates

Abstract

An NTP hybrid system was designed in combination with metal oxide (MOX)-coated glass beads (GB) to synthesize value-added fuels and chemicals directly from methane. The combined plasma-packed mode was found to be a promising alternative to thermal catalysis, as it successfully enabled the single-step partial oxidation of methane to produce liquid oxygenates at atmospheric pressure and room temperature. When comparing plasma without packing (58%) and MOX/GB coupled plasma mode, the later method enhances the liquid selectivity to 74% with the introduction of C2 oxygenates in addition to C1 chemicals. Among the coated materials applied, NiO-coated GBs showed the highest liquid yield of ∼10%, including the maximum methanol yield of ∼5%, while coupled with NTP-DBD mode. Gas discharge-promoted methane conversion was observed in the presence of GB and MOX/GB, which can be attributed to the enhanced electric field generated as a result of the improved plasma strength created by the beads. Also, the oxide layer of metal oxide nanoparticles provides a catalytic base for adsorption/desorption of methane and other gas phase active species, which can facilitate the partial oxidation process of methane either by the gas-phase active oxygen species or through the interaction of surface hydroxyl groups.

Graphical abstract: A single-stage partial oxidation of methane to methanol: a step forward in the synthesis of oxygenates

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
13 Apr 2021
Accepted
24 May 2021
First published
24 May 2021

Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2021,5, 3351-3362

A single-stage partial oxidation of methane to methanol: a step forward in the synthesis of oxygenates

P. Chawdhury, K. V. S. S. Bhargavi and C. Subrahmanyam, Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2021, 5, 3351 DOI: 10.1039/D1SE00557J

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements