| dc.description.abstract | The excessive use of fossil fuels results in the increased CO2 and CH4 concentrations in the atmosphere, which exacerbates global warming, sea level rise, and other environmental problems. However, CO2 and CH4 are abundant carbon sources that can be converted into economically valuable chemicals. Due to the high stability of CH4 and the relatively high reactivity of CH3OH, the activation of CH4 and the selectivity for CH3OH products are challenging.
This study aims to synthesize manganese oxide (MOx) catalysts for the oxidation of CH4 to produce methanol. Materials are prepared using hydrothermal methods and high-temperature calcination. Various instruments are used to characterize the properties of the catalyst materials and the production of the products. Powder X-ray Diffraction (PXRD) was used to determine the crystallinity of materials and to compare their crystal phaces and structures of the materials by varying the Mn compositions in MWCNT. Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersion X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDX) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)-EDX are used to observe the shape, surface morphology of the catalyst materials for inspiring the catalyst surface microenvironment. In addition, in-situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy is conducted to monitor the changes in the materials in a time-resolved manner. The production of liquid products and Faradaic efficiency calculations are determined using NMR for product quantification. By adjusting experimental reaction conditions such as the molar ratio of MWCNT/Mn, varying the applied potentials, electrolyte selection, and the control of gas mixing ratios and gas flow rates, and the optimization of the materials and reaction conditions are determined. Under appropriate reaction conditions, the prepared materials can achieve good catalytic activity. In summary, this study will comprehensively explore the choice of different devices (such as H-cell or Flow-cell), the design and optimization of materials, the setting of experimental conditions, and the characterization of materials. | en_US |