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Spatiotemporal photon distribution control on active sites enables bio-inspired methane-to-methanol conversion

Li, Yi ; Cao, Yuehan ; Han, Chunqiu ; Zheng, Kaibo LU ; Cao, Shaowen ; Meng, Jie and Zhou, Ying (2026) In Nature Communications 17(1).
Abstract

Direct catalytic conversion of methane to methanol offers a pathway for transforming a potent greenhouse gas into a portable clean liquid fuel, thereby mitigating carbon emissions and supporting sustainable energy. However, this process faces challenges from thermodynamically favorable methanol overoxidation. Here, we show that spatiotemporal regulation of photogenerated charge carriers on engineered catalytic sites enables a bio-inspired ordered two-step photocatalytic process that imitates methane monooxygenase. In a platinum-loaded cadmium sulfide photocatalyst, unsaturated sulfur sites modulate hole migration while platinum sites modulate electron migration, ensuring their concurrent surface arrival within picoseconds and prolonged... (More)

Direct catalytic conversion of methane to methanol offers a pathway for transforming a potent greenhouse gas into a portable clean liquid fuel, thereby mitigating carbon emissions and supporting sustainable energy. However, this process faces challenges from thermodynamically favorable methanol overoxidation. Here, we show that spatiotemporal regulation of photogenerated charge carriers on engineered catalytic sites enables a bio-inspired ordered two-step photocatalytic process that imitates methane monooxygenase. In a platinum-loaded cadmium sulfide photocatalyst, unsaturated sulfur sites modulate hole migration while platinum sites modulate electron migration, ensuring their concurrent surface arrival within picoseconds and prolonged localization. This dynamics temporarily anchors methane at hole-enriched sulfur sites while hydroxyl radical generation occurs at electron-rich platinum sites, decoupling hydroxyl radical formation from methane dehydrogenation to suppress overoxidation. The approach achieves methane-to-methanol conversion with selectivity of 83.5%, offering a bio-inspired solar-driven strategy for C1 valorization.

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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Nature Communications
volume
17
issue
1
article number
3357
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • pmid:41771904
  • scopus:105035188842
ISSN
2041-1723
DOI
10.1038/s41467-026-70134-7
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
790082db-0ed2-4a7d-a7c3-d972057f1315
date added to LUP
2026-05-21 14:42:30
date last changed
2026-06-18 20:24:01
@article{790082db-0ed2-4a7d-a7c3-d972057f1315,
  abstract     = {{<p>Direct catalytic conversion of methane to methanol offers a pathway for transforming a potent greenhouse gas into a portable clean liquid fuel, thereby mitigating carbon emissions and supporting sustainable energy. However, this process faces challenges from thermodynamically favorable methanol overoxidation. Here, we show that spatiotemporal regulation of photogenerated charge carriers on engineered catalytic sites enables a bio-inspired ordered two-step photocatalytic process that imitates methane monooxygenase. In a platinum-loaded cadmium sulfide photocatalyst, unsaturated sulfur sites modulate hole migration while platinum sites modulate electron migration, ensuring their concurrent surface arrival within picoseconds and prolonged localization. This dynamics temporarily anchors methane at hole-enriched sulfur sites while hydroxyl radical generation occurs at electron-rich platinum sites, decoupling hydroxyl radical formation from methane dehydrogenation to suppress overoxidation. The approach achieves methane-to-methanol conversion with selectivity of 83.5%, offering a bio-inspired solar-driven strategy for C<sub>1</sub> valorization.</p>}},
  author       = {{Li, Yi and Cao, Yuehan and Han, Chunqiu and Zheng, Kaibo and Cao, Shaowen and Meng, Jie and Zhou, Ying}},
  issn         = {{2041-1723}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Nature Communications}},
  title        = {{Spatiotemporal photon distribution control on active sites enables bio-inspired methane-to-methanol conversion}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-70134-7}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/s41467-026-70134-7}},
  volume       = {{17}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}