Methane to Liquid Fuels and Chemicals. A Catalytic Approach to Energy Sustainability and Green Chemistry

Research Paper (undergraduate) from the year 2014 in the subject Chemistry - Organic Chemistry, Xiamen University, language: English, abstract: Methane is considered to be an alternative for crude oil in the production of petrochemicals and clean liquid fuels. It is the most abundant energy resource ever discovered in the history of petrochemical industry, often found in remote regions and serves as a feedstock for the production of chemicals and source of energy in the 21st century. Although methane is currently being used in such important applications, its potential for the production of products such as ethylene or liquid hydrocarbon fuels has not been fully realized. A number of catalytic strategies are being explored to effectively transform methane into vital products whilst considering environmental impacts, these strategies include: steam and carbon dioxide reforming, partial oxidation of methane to form CO and H2, the direct oxidation of methane to methanol and formaldehyde, oxidative coupling of methane to ethylene and direct conversion to aromatics. Extensive utilization of methane for the production of fuels and chemicals appears to be near, but current economic uncertainties and technological associated challenges limit the amount of research activity and the implementation of emerging technologies.