As the major greenhouse gas, methane has aroused extensive concern under the current environmental crisis. The selective conversion of methane to value-added chemicals will not contribute the reduction of carbon emission, but also opens a new avenue for alleviating the present energy crisis.
The conversion of methane requires the selective activation of C-H bond, which is generally realized via energy intensive process. Consequently, it is of great importance to achieve methane-to-chemicals in sustainable manners yet remains great challenges.
A recent study published in Science Advances reported the solar-driven conversion of methane to formaldehyde with a high selectivity of ~98.7%.
The research team led by Prof. XU Yong from Suzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-Bionics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences used ultrathin hexagonal Pd8Sb3 nanosheets as the catalyst to realize photo-to-heat transformation and ·OH radicals-induced C-H activation with the collaboration with Prof. HUANG Xiaoqing from Xiamen University and Prof. GUO Yuzheng from Wuhan University. These unique Pd-based nanosheets display strengthened absorption to visible and near-infrared light, enhanced photothermal stability, and super-high selectivity to formaldehyde, which provides a promising strategy for the utilization of methane.
Owing to excellent photothermal efficiency, such Pd8Sb3 nanosheets can also be used for the photothermal therapy of cancer cells. The mortality of the 4T1 cells gradually increased with the irradiation time, and the cell viability remains only 20% after 6 min.
“It has been well known that methane is an inertia molecule, and the selective conversion of methane to value-added chemicals in sustainable manners is extremely challenging. This current study uses a unique ultrathin Pd-based nanosheets to realize the photothermal conversion of methane to formaldehyde, which will shed some new light on both the fundamental researches and practical applications,” said Dr. WANG Mengjun, the first author of this work, postdoctoral fellow of Suzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-Bionics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Given the large reserves of methane on the earth, it is quite vital to develop efficient strategies for turning waste into treasure. This work will attract the rapid interest of researchers in diverse fields, including materials science, catalysis, chemistry, bioscience, and beyond.
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