A Critical Assessment of the Direct Catalytic Oxidation of Methane to Methanol

DOI: 10.1002/anie.201702550
Angew Chem International, AcceptedManuscript online: 23 June 2017

• • • 
      

    1. 
       

  • • 
      

    1. 
       

   

  Abstract

  Despite the emerging number of disparate approaches for the direct selective partial oxidation of methane, none of them has translated into an industrial process. The oxidation of methane to methanol is a difficult yet intriguing and rewarding task as it has the potential to eliminate the prevalent natural gas flaring by providing novel routes to its valorisation. This review considers the synthesis of methanol and methanol derivatives from methane by homogeneous and heterogeneous pathways. In establishing the severe limitations related to the direct catalytic synthesis of methanol from methane, we highlight the vastly superior performance of systems, which produce methanol derivatives or incorporate specific measures such as the use of multi-component catalysts to stabilise methanol. We thereby identify methanol protection as being indispensable in homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis with regard to future research on this topic.