Photocatalytic Conversion of Methane into Formic Acid enabled by FeCl3

• Grant number: 24/09563-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: November 04, 2024
• End date: April 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Inorganic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Ivo Freitas Teixeira
• Grantee: Carla da Silva Cunha
• Supervisor: Sergio Navalon Oltra
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia (UPV), Spain
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/06070-2 - Toluene Selective Photo-Oxidation Using Graphitic Carbon Nitride as a Catalyst, BP.MS

Abstract

Global warming is an important issue nowadays, and the scientific community has been focusing on the development of alternatives to reduce its impact. Methane (CH4) is the second most abundant greenhouse gas, and its damage to the environment is almost 80 times higher than that of carbon dioxide. One of the most successful approaches to mitigate this damage consists in selective convert the methane into useful chemicals, via an activation of the C-H bond. However, this bond is stable, making its activation very challenging. The principal way to use methane in the industry is through steam reforming of methane (SRM), where syngas is generated and then converted via the Fischer-Tropsch process to generate hydrocarbons and methanol. One of the most researched alternatives for methane activation is oxidation, which produces several molecules with higher added value and greater chemical interest. Among these, formic acid is one of the most desired, due to its value, its capacity to act as a hydrogen carrier, and the products of interest generated by its reactions. In this project, we aim to obtain formic acid from methane oxidation enabled by FeCl3 in a photocatalytic system. The infrastructure of Dr. Navalón's laboratory at ITQ will be extremely important to perform the proposed work, especially concerning the closing the carbon balance for the reaction, as well as elucidate the mechanistic pathway.