Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) as innovative catalysts in the activation and oxidation of C-H bonds: a mechanistic and spectroscopic analysis

• Grant number: 24/01609-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
• Effective date (Start): July 01, 2024
• Effective date (End): June 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Dalmo Mandelli
• Grantee: Gustavo Felix Bitencourt
• Supervisor: Mohamad El-Roz
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, France
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/08875-8 - Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) as heterogeneous catalysts towards oxygenated products by direct methane oxidation, BP.DD

Abstract

In the context of climate action and sustainable development policies, there is a growing focus on utilizing natural gas as an environmentally friendly alternative. Methane, a major component of natural gas, poses challenges due to its stability, limiting its applications. Current energy-intensive processes predominantly convert methane into fossil fuels or to olefins, aromatic hydrocarbons, or oxygenated compounds. Therefore, implementing greener technologies to ensure that methane is efficiently used will be essential in the future. In this scenario, developing new catalysts that can directly convert methane to higher-value products is challenging to modern chemistry. Several materials have been developed for this purpose, but they still have limitations. The few studies involving metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as catalysts for the selective oxidation of light alkanes (SOLA), show a promising future of these materials in this fields. Thus, here we propose the use of different metals, regarding the structural versatility of MOFs, to enhance their activity, stability, and selectivity towards C-H bond oxidation. Active centers like Cu, Fe, and Ga, and mixed-metal MOFs, will be evaluated to catalyze the conversion of alkanes, like methane, to oxygenated products. Thus, the resulting materials will be tested in batch and flow reactors, giving different insights into activation and mechanism procedures in situ and operando, on behalf of the most efficient catalyst. Then, extensive characterization techniques will also be used to ensure the materials' properties before and after the catalysis.