Selective electro-oxidation of methane to methanol at room temperature using a flow reactor.

Converting methane to value-added chemicals is desirable for sustainable chemical production. Here, an α-Fe2O3 catalyst sprayed onto a graphite felt electrode was used as an electrocatalyst in a flow-cell reactor for methane conversion at room temperature. A methane conversion of 37% was achieved, with high selectivity toward methanol and a production rate of 873 µmol g-1 h-1, corresponding to a faradaic efficiency (FE) of 40.3% when water was used as the oxygen source. Upon the addition of 3% potassium chloride, the methanol yield increased to 1,248 µmol g-1 h-1 with a faradaic efficiency of 46.4% and a selectivity of 98%.