Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) as heterogeneous catalysts towards oxygenated products by direct methane oxidation

• Grant number: 23/08875-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2023
• Status: Discontinued
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Inorganic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Dalmo Mandelli
• Grantee: Gustavo Felix Bitencourt
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/01258-5 - Novel chemical catalytic and photocatalytic processes for the direct conversion of methane and CO2 to products, AP.TEM
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/01609-3 - Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) as innovative catalysts in the activation and oxidation of C-H bonds: a mechanistic and spectroscopic analysis, BE.EP.DD

Abstract

From the current climate perspective, there is a significant emphasis on promoting policies for sustainable development and fulfilling agreements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to certain levels, particularly in the industrial sector. In this regard, natural gas, which is an environmentally friendlier fuel compared to commonly used fossil fuels, has gained increasing attention. Consequently, there is a growing focus on developing technologies for the improved exploration and beneficiation of this resource. The extraction, processing, and conversion of methane (CH4), the main constituent of natural gas, receive special attention in the field of catalysis due to the remaining challenges associated with the direct oxidative catalysis of CH4 to methanol, an essential raw material for various production chains. Modern chemistry has been exploring different approaches to finding an effective, economical, and environmentally friendly process for the direct conversion of methane to methanol, incorporating various types of materials as catalysts. In this context, the versatility and physicochemical characteristics of crystalline materials known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are related to their potential to provide solutions and generate positive results in the field of direct methane oxidation. Therefore, this project aims to synthesize new MOFs by modifying their metal centers (iron, copper, gallium, among others) and ligands (amino acids, organic acids, imines, among others) to favor properties that enhance the conversion of methane to higher-value oxygenated products. The characterization techniques employed for these materials include scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), textural analysis (N2 adsorption isotherms), and various others. (AU)