The activation of methane by Ni-Cu/MoO x for the synthesis of ethanol

The conversion of methane and water to alcohols could not only reduce the greenhouse effect effectively but also improve the utilization value of methane. In the present work, Ni-Cu/MoOx was prepared by co-impregnation method and applied to the activation of methane and water to produce ethanol. It was found that ethanol could be produced selectively mediated by Ni-Cu/MoOx and a yield of 18.5 μmol was obtained at 240 °C, 2.5 MPa. After CH4 cracking at 500 °C, C-O and alkoxy carbon species formed on the surface of Ni-Cu/MoOx, while C-C coupling and the formation of –CH3O species occurred at nearly 350 °C in the cooling process. The reaction of coupled surface species with water produced ethanol, promoted by the synergetic effects of Ni, Cu and Mo active species. The direct conversion of methane to ethanol on Ni-Cu/MoOx provided clues for the production of value-added oxygenates from methane in further study. The present work prepared Ni-Cu/MoOx by co-impregnation method, which could help the reaction of methane and water, producing ethanol selectively at 250 °C, 2.5 MPa. C-O and alkoxy carbon species were detected by XPS and the variation of CH3O- species during the cracking process were observed by MS, which might be responsible for ethanol production.