Advanced Synchrotron Characterization of Thin Film Catalysts for Methane Conversion

• Grant number: 25/07213-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Fabio Coral Fonseca
• Grantee: Leticia de Melo Costa
• Host Institution: Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN). Secretaria de Desenvolvimento Econômico (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Company: Secretaria de Desenvolvimento Econômico (São Paulo - Estado). Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN)
• Associated research grant: 17/11937-4 - A sustainable path to methane conversion by advanced electrochemical technologies, AP.PCPE

Abstract

Methane can be converted to relevant industrial chemicals such as ethylene or methanol either by consecutive (indirect) reactions that start with steam or dry reform, or by direct reactions such as oxidative or non-oxidative coupling of methane. Oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) is a complex exothermic reaction that has methane and oxygen as reactants. The first step is methane activation that occurs at the surface of a catalyst forming methyl radicals that will combine in the gas phase to form C2+ molecules. Catalysts for OCM are usually based on metal oxides that provide active oxygen species for methane activation. One main limitation of standard co-feed reactions, in which CH4 and O2 are supplied simultaneously, is that C2 selectivity is limited because unwanted pathways of complete oxidation of methane or C2 molecules (ethane end ethene) are usually thermodynamically favored. Therefore, reaction configurations are being investigated that limit such pathways. In the Methane-to-Products research program, we are investigating the solid oxide (SOE) electrochemical reactors for OCM. In the SOE - OCM, oxygen species are supplied to the catalyst by means of an anionic (oxygen conduction) membrane. In this case, the oxygen flow can be tuned by the application of an external electrical potential. Understanding the basic properties of the catalysts is essential to advance such reactors. Thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) represent model catalysts than can be studied in situ using advanced characterization tools to provide information concerning oxidation states and surface properties without the interference of the atmospheric contaminations (water and CO2, mostly). In this research project catalysts thin films be prepared by PLD and characterized by different techniques to explore the basic microstructural and physicochemical properties to advance the design of catalyst for SOE OCM. (AU)