• Vazquez, Juvencio
• Acevedo-Peña, Prospero
• Molina, Paulina
• Montiel, Marlene González
• Reguera, Edilso
• Mojica Molina, Hebert Rodrigo

Abstract

<jats:p>Methane has been widely employed as a feedstock for numerous chemical and electrochemical processes. However, methane activation poses a challenge due to the molecule’s relative inertness, lack of significant polarity and because its bond energy is the highest among all hydrocarbons. Consequently, the ability to activate methane (CH<jats:sub>4</jats:sub>), or access the C atom to form new bonds is a difficult endeavor [1]. Furthermore, CH<jats:sub>4</jats:sub> gas emission has long been ignored and regarded as a trivial matter [2], even though its effect as a greenhouse gas is over 30 times more potent than that of CO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> [3]. In this regard, the oxidation and conversion of CH<jats:sub>4</jats:sub> to liquid alcohols is an economical and energy efficient alternative with academic and industry interest. </jats:p><jats:p>The present study shows the synthesis and characterization of Fe, Co, Cu oxides/ZrO<jats:sub>2 </jats:sub>nanocomposites used as bifunctional electrocatalyst for the electrochemical activation of methane, which in conventional alkaline electrochemical systems is always performed at room temperature. </jats:p><jats:p>Fe, Co, Cu oxides/ZrO<jats:sub>2 </jats:sub>nanocomposites were synthesized using an aqueous-phase precipitation technique and their structural, spectroscopic, magnetic and electrochemical characteristics were evaluated. </jats:p><jats:p>Methane was electrochemically activated over the three functional electrocatalysts here synthesized. Carbonate anions were used as an oxygen donator to facilitate methane activation while ZrO<jats:sub>2 </jats:sub>adsorbed and donated carbonate anions to active sites on Fe, Co and Cu oxides where methane was adsorbed and activated. Products formed were studied by gas chromatography. </jats:p><jats:p>References: </jats:p><jats:p> [1] R. Bergman, <jats:italic>Nature</jats:italic>, 446, 391 (2007). </jats:p><jats:p>[2] A. R. Brandt, G. A. Heath, E. A. Kort, F. O. Sullivan, G. Petron, S. M. Jordaan, P. Tans, J. Wilcox, A. M. Gopstein, D. Arent, S. Wofsy, N. J. Brown, R. Bradley, G. D. Stucky, D. Eardley, R. Harriss, <jats:italic>Science, 343</jats:italic>, 733 (2014). </jats:p><jats:p>[3] D. T. Shindell, G. Faluvegi, D. M. Koch, G. A. Schmidt, N. Unger, S. E. Bauer, <jats:italic>Science</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>326</jats:italic>, 716 (2009). </jats:p><jats:p>[4] Neil Spinner and William E. Mustain<jats:italic>, Journal of The Electrochemical Society</jats:italic>, 160 (11) F1275-F1281 (2013).</jats:p>

Topics

• nanocomposite
• impedance spectroscopy
• phase
• Oxygen
• precipitation
• activation
• gas chromatography
• alcohol