Palladium decorated anatase for photocatalytic partial oxidation of methane to ethane
Jianlong Yang, Chao Wang, Jialiang Xing, Junwang Tang
Abstract
Photocatalytic partial oxidation of methane (POM) is recognized as a promising, yet challenging technology to realize C2+ production. However, the dilemma between the yield and selectivity to C2+ products still hinders the commercial application. Here, a strategy for the continuous transformation of methane to ethane with the high activity and remarkable selectivity is presented, using the Pd decorated anatase catalyst. The optimized Pd1.8-TiO2 shows a high ethane yield of 40.9 μmol/h, which is 13 times higher than that of bare TiO2. The ethane selectivity of 80.4 % is also comparable to the previous benchmark in POM processes. In situ characterizations reveal that Pd nanoparticle functions as a hole acceptor to facilitate charge separation, thereby significantly improving the performance of POM.