Partial oxidation of methane to methanol by isolated Pt catalyst supported on a CeO nanoparticle.

Catalytic transformation of methane (CH) into methanol in a single step is a challenging issue for the utilization of CH. We present a direct method for converting CH into methanol with high selectivity over a Pt/CeO catalyst which contains ionic Pt species supported on a CeO nanoparticle. The Pt/CeO catalyst reproducibly yielded 6.27 mmol/g of Pt with a selectivity of over 95% at 300 °C when CH and CO are used as reactants, while the catalyst had a lower activity when using only CH without CO. Active lattice oxygen created on the Pt and CeO interface provides selective reaction pathways for the conversion of CH to methanol. Based on high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, x-ray absorption near-edge structure, extended x-ray absorption fine structure, catalytic studies, and density functional theory calculations, we propose a mechanistic pathway involving CH activation at the active site in the vicinity of Pt species.