Catalytic Oxidation of Methane: Pd and Beyond

Creating Atomically Iridium-Doped PdOx Nanoparticles for Efficient and Durable Methane Abatement

The urgent environmental concern of methane abatement, attributed to its high global warming potential, necessitates the development of methane oxidation catalysts (MOC) with enhanced low-temperature activity and durability. Herein, an iridium-doped PdOx nanoparticle supported on silicalite-1 zeolite (PdIr/S-1) catalyst was synthesized and applied for methane catalytic combustion. Comprehensive characterizations confirmed the atomically dispersed nature of iridium on the surface of PdOx nanoparticles, creating an Ir4f-O-Pdcus microstructure. The atomically doped Ir transferred more electrons to adjacent oxygen atoms, modifying the electronic structure of PdOx and thus enhancing the redox ability of the PdIr/S-1 catalysts. This electronic modulation facilitated methane adsorption on the Pd site of Ir4f-O-Pdcus, reducing the energy barrier for C-H bond cleavage and thereby increasing the reaction rate for methane oxidation. Consequently, the optimized PdIr0.1/S-1 showed outstanding low-temperature activity for methane combustion (T50 = 276 °C) after aging and maintained long-term stability over 100 h under simulated exhaust conditions. Remarkably, the novel PdIr0.1/S-1 catalyst demonstrated significantly enhanced activity even after undergoing harsh hydrothermal aging at 750 °C for 16 h, significantly outperforming the conventional Pd/Al2O3 catalyst. This work provides valuable insights for designing efficient and durable MOC catalysts, addressing the critical issue of methane abatement.

Palladium Catalysts for Methane Oxidation: Old Materials, New Challenges

ConspectusMethane complete oxidation is an important reaction that is part of the general scheme used for removing pollutants contained in emissions from internal combustion engines and, more generally, combustion processes. It has also recently attracted interest as an option for the removal of atmospheric methane in the context of negative emission technologies. Methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, can be converted to carbon dioxide and water via its complete oxidation. Despite burning methane being facile because the combustion sustains its complete oxidation after ignition, methane strong C-H bonds require a catalyst to perform the oxidation at low temperatures and in the absence of a flame so as to avoid the formation of nitrogen oxides, such as those produced in flares. This process allows methane removal to be obtained under conditions that usually lead to higher emissions, such as under cold start conditions in the case of internal combustion engines. Among several options that include homo- and heterogeneous catalysts, supported palladium-based catalysts are the most active heterogeneous systems for this reaction. Finely divided palladium can activate C-H bonds at temperatures as low as 150 °C, although complete conversion is usually not reached until 400-500 °C in practical applications. Major goals are to achieve catalytic methane oxidation at as low as possible temperature and to utilize this expensive metal more efficiently.Compared to any other transition metal, palladium and its oxides are orders of magnitude more reactive for methane oxidation in the absence of water. During the last few decades, much research has been devoted to unveiling the origin of the high activity of supported palladium catalysts, their active phase, the effect of support, promoters, and defects, and the effect of reaction conditions with the goal of further improving their reactivity. There is an overall agreement in trends, yet there are noticeable differences in some details of the catalytic performance of palladium, including the active phase under reaction conditions and the reasons for catalyst deactivation and poisoning. In this Account we summarize our work in this space using well-defined catalysts, especially model palladium surfaces and those prepared using colloidal nanocrystals as precursors, and spectroscopic tools to unveil important details about the chemistry of supported palladium catalysts. We describe advanced techniques aimed at elucidating the role of several parameters in the performance of palladium catalysts for methane oxidation as well as in engineering catalysts through advancing fundamental understanding and synthesis methods. We report the state of research on active phases and sites, then move to the role of supports and promoters, and finally discuss stability in catalytic performance and the role of water in the palladium active phase. Overall, we want to emphasize the importance of a fundamental understanding in designing and realizing active and stable palladium-based catalysts for methane oxidation as an example for a variety of energy and environmental applications of nanomaterials in catalysis.

Identifying the Structure of Supported Metal Catalysts Using Vibrational Fingerprints from Ab Initio Nanoscale Models

Identifying active sites of supported noble metal nanocatalysts remains challenging, since their size and shape undergo changes depending on the support, temperature, and gas mixture composition. Herein, the anharmonic infrared spectrum of adsorbed CO is simulated using density functional theory (DFT) to gain insight into the nature of Pd nanoparticles (NPs) supported on ceria. The authors systematically determine how the simulated infrared spectra are affected by CO coverage, NP size (0.5-1.5 nm), NP morphology (octahedral, icosahedral), and metal-support contact angle, by exploring a diversity of realistic models inspired by ab initio molecular dynamics. The simulated spectra are then used as a spectroscopic fingerprint to characterize nanoparticles in a real catalyst, by comparison with in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) experiments. Truncated octahedral NPs with an acute Pd-ceria angle reproduce most of the measurements. In particular, the authors isolate features characteristic of CO adsorbed at the metal-support interface appearing at low frequencies, both seen in simulation and experiment. This work illustrates the strong need for realistic models to provide a robust description of the active sites, especially at the interface of supported metal nanocatalysts, which can be highly dynamic and evolve considerably during reaction.

Understanding palladium-tellurium cluster formation on WTe2: From a kinetically hindered distribution to thermodynamically controlled monodispersity

A fundamental understanding of the transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC)-metal interface is critical for their utilization in a broad range of applications. We investigate how the deposition of palladium (Pd), as a model metal, on WTe₂(001), leads to the assembly of Pd into clusters and nanoparticles. Using X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy imaging, and ab initio simulations, we find that Pd nucleation is driven by the interaction with and the availability of mobile excess tellurium (Te) leading to the formation of Pd-Te clusters at room temperature. Surprisingly, the nucleation of Pd-Te clusters is not affected by intrinsic surface defects, even at elevated temperatures. Upon annealing, the Pd-Te nanoclusters adopt an identical nanostructure and are stable up to ∼523 K. Density functional theory calculations provide a foundation for our understanding of the mobility of Pd and Te atoms, preferential nucleation of Pd-Te clusters, and the origin of their annealing-induced monodispersity. These results highlight the role the excess chalcogenide atoms may play in the metal deposition process. More broadly, the discoveries of synthetic pathways yielding thermally robust monodispersed nanostructures on TMDCs are critical to the manufacturing of novel quantum and microelectronics devices and catalytically active nano-alloy centers.

Hematites Precipitated in Alkaline Precursors: Comparison of Structural and Textural Properties for Methane Oxidation

Hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) catalysts prepared using the precipitation methods was found to be highly effective, and therefore, it was studied with methane (CH₄), showing an excellent stable performance below 500 °C. This study investigates hematite nanoparticles (NPs) obtained by precipitation in water from the precursor of ferric chloride hexahydrate using precipitating agents NaOH or NH₄OH at maintained pH 11 and calcined up to 500 °C for the catalytic oxidation of low concentrations of CH₄ (5% by volume in air) at 500 °C to compare their structural state in a CH₄ reducing environment. The conversion (%) of CH₄ values decreasing with time was discussed according to the course of different transformation of goethite and hydrohematites NPs precursors to magnetite and the structural state of the calcined hydrohematites. The phase composition, the size and morphology of nanocrystallites, thermal transformation of precipitates and the specific surface area of the NPs were characterized in detail by X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, thermal TG/DTA analysis and nitrogen physisorption measurements. The results support the finding that after goethite dehydration, transformation to hydrohematite due to structurally incorporated water and vacancies is different from hydrohematite α-Fe₂O₃. The surface area SBET of Fe₂O₃_NH-70 precipitate composed of protohematite was larger by about 53 m²/g in comparison with Fe₂O₃_Na-70 precipitate composed of goethite. The oxidation of methane was positively influenced by the hydrohematites of the smaller particle size and the largest lattice volume containing structurally incorporated water and vacancies.

Single Atom Catalysts for Selective Methane Oxidation to Oxygenates

Direct conversion of methane (CH₄) to C_1-2 liquid oxygenates is a captivating approach to lock carbons in transportable value-added chemicals, while reducing global warming. Existing approaches utilizing the transformation of CH₄ to liquid fuel via tandemized steam methane reforming and the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis are energy and capital intensive. Chemocatalytic partial oxidation of methane remains challenging due to the negligible electron affinity, poor C-H bond polarizability, and high activation energy barrier. Transition-metal and stoichiometric catalysts utilizing harsh oxidants and reaction conditions perform poorly with randomized product distribution. Paradoxically, the catalysts which are active enough to break C-H also promote overoxidation, resulting in CO₂ generation and reduced carbon balance. Developing catalysts which can break C-H bonds of methane to selectively make useful chemicals at mild conditions is vital to commercialization. Single atom catalysts (SACs) with specifically coordinated metal centers on active support have displayed intrigued reactivity and selectivity for methane oxidation. SACs can significantly reduce the activation energy due to induced electrostatic polarization of the C-H bond to facilitate the accelerated reaction rate at the low reaction temperature. The distinct metal-support interaction can stabilize the intermediate and prevent the overoxidation of the reaction products. The present review accounts for recent progress in the field of SACs for the selective oxidation of CH₄ to C_1-2 oxygenates. The chemical nature of catalytic sites, effects of metal-support interaction, and stabilization of intermediate species on catalysts to minimize overoxidation are thoroughly discussed with a forward-looking perspective to improve the catalytic performance.

In situ surface analysis of palladium-platinum alloys in methane oxidation conditions

Palladium and palladium-platinum foils were analysed using temperature-programmed near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (TP-NAP-XPS) under methane oxidation conditions. Oxidation of palladium is inhibited by the presence of water, and in oxygen-poor environments. Pt addition further inhibits oxidation of palladium across all reaction conditions, preserving metallic palladium to higher temperatures. Bimetallic foils underwent significant restructuring under reaction conditions, with platinum preferentially migrating to the bulk under select conditions.

Numerical Simulation Analysis of Heating Effect of Downhole Methane Catalytic Combustion Heater under High Pressure

The hot exhaust gas generated by a downhole combustion heater directly heats the formation, which can avoid the heat loss caused by the injection of high-temperature fluid on the ground. However, if the temperature of the exhaust gas is too high, it may lead to the carbonization of organic matter in the formation, which is not conducive to oil production. This paper proposes the use of low-temperature catalytic combustion of a mixture of methane and air to produce a suitable exhaust gas temperature. The simulation studies the influence of different parameters on the catalytic combustion characteristics of methane and the influence of downhole high-pressure conditions. The results show that under high-pressure conditions, using a smaller concentration of methane (4%) for catalytic combustion can obtain a higher conversion efficiency (88.75%), and the exhaust temperature is 1097 K. It is found that the high-pressure conditions in the well can promote the catalytic combustion process of the heater, which proves the feasibility of the downhole combustion heater for in situ heating of unconventional oil and gas reservoirs.

Catalytic Oxidation of Methane

Methane (the major component of natural gas) is one of the main energy sources for gas-powered turbines for power generation, and transport vehicles [...]

Opportunities and challenges in the development of advanced materials for emission control catalysts

Advances in engine technologies are placing additional demands on emission control catalysts, which must now perform at lower temperatures, but at the same time be robust enough to survive harsh conditions encountered in engine exhaust. In this Review, we explore some of the materials concepts that could revolutionize the technology of emission control systems. These include single-atom catalysts, two-dimensional materials, three-dimensional architectures, core@shell nanoparticles derived via atomic layer deposition and via colloidal synthesis methods, and microporous oxides. While these materials provide enhanced performance, they will need to overcome many challenges before they can be deployed for treating exhaust from cars and trucks. We assess the state of the art for catalysing reactions related to emission control and also consider radical breakthroughs that could potentially completely transform this field.

Highly Dispersed Pd Species Supported on CeO2 Catalyst for Lean Methane Combustion: The Effect of the Occurrence State of Surface Pd Species on the Catalytic Activity

The correlation between the occurrence state of surface Pd species of Pd/CeO2 for lean CH4 combustion is investigated. Herein, by using a reduction-deposition method, we have synthesized a highly active 0.5% PdO/CeO2-RE catalyst, in which the Pd nanoparticles are evenly dispersed on the CeO2 nanorods CeO2-R. Based on comprehensive characterization, we have revealed that the uniformly dispersed Pd nanoparticles with a particle size distribution of 2.3 ± 0.6 nm are responsible for the generation of PdO and PdxCe1−xO2−δ phase with –Pd2+–O2−–Ce4+– linkage, which can easily provide oxygen vacancies and facilitate the transfer of reactive oxygen species between the CeO2-R and Pd species. As a consequence, the remarkable catalytic activity of 0.5% Pd/CeO2-RE is related to the high concentration of PdO species on the surface of the catalyst and the synergistic interaction between the Pd species and the CeO2 nanorod.

Preparation of Pd/SiO2 Catalysts by a Simple Dry Ball-Milling Method for Lean Methane Oxidation and Probe of the State of Active Pd Species

A series of Pd/SiO2 catalysts were prepared with different Pd precursors by a dry ball-milling method and used in the catalytic oxidation of lean methane at low temperature. The effect of Pd precursors on the catalytic performance was investigated and the state of the most active Pd species was probed. The results indicate that dry ball-milling is a simple but rather effective method to prepare the Pd/SiO2 catalysts for lean methane oxidation, and palladium acetylacetonate is an ideal precursor to obtain a highly active Pd/SiO2-Acac catalyst with well- and stably dispersed Pd species, owing to the tight contact between acetylacetonate and Si–OH on the SiO2 support. Besides the size and dispersion of Pd particles, the oxidation state of Pd species also plays a crucial role in determining the catalytic activity of Pd/SiO2 in lean methane oxidation at low temperature. A non-monotonic dependence of the catalytic activity on the Pd oxidation state is observed. The activity of various Pd species follows the order of PdOx >> Pd > PdO; the PdOx/SiO2-Acac catalysts (in particular for PdO0.82/SiO2-Acac when x = 0.82) exhibit much higher activity in lean methane oxidation at low temperature than Pd/SiO2-Acac and PdO/SiO2-Acac. The catalytic activity of PdOx/SiO2 may degrade during the methane oxidation due to the gradual transformation of PdOx to PdO in the oxygen-rich ambiance; however, such degradation is reversible and the activity of a degraded Pd/SiO2 catalyst can be recovered through a redox treatment to regain the PdOx species. This work helps to foster a better understanding of the relationship between the structure and performance of supported Pd catalysts by clarifying the state of active Pd species, which should be beneficial to the design of an active catalyst in lean methane oxidation at low temperature.

Yttrium stabilization and Pt addition to Pd/ZrO2 catalyst for the oxidation of methane in the presence of ethylene and water

Catalytic oxidation is the most efficient method of minimizing the emissions of harmful pollutants and greenhouse gases. In this study, ZrO₂-supported Pd catalysts are investigated for the catalytic oxidation of methane and ethylene. Pd/Y₂O₃-stabilized ZrO₂ (Pd/YSZ) catalysts show attractive catalytic activity for methane and ethylene oxidation. The ZrO₂ support containing up to 8 mol% Y₂O₃ improves the water resistance and hydrothermal stability of the catalyst. All catalysts are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), O₂-temperature-programmed desorption (O₂-TPD), and CO-chemisorption techniques. It shows that high Pd dispersion and Pd–PdO reciprocation on the Pd/YSZ catalyst results in relatively high stability. In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform (DRIFT) experiments are performed to study the reaction over the surface of the catalyst. Compared with bimetallic catalysts (Pd : Pt), the same amounts of Pd and Pt supported on ZrO₂ and Y₂O₃-stabilized ZrO₂ catalysts show enhanced activity for methane and ethylene oxidation, respectively. A mixed hydrocarbon feed, containing methane and ethylene, lowers the CH₄ light-off temperature by approximately 80 °C. This shows that ethylene addition has a promotional effect on the light-off temperature of methane.

Addition of 8.0% Yttrium (Y) to ZrO₂ substantially increased the activity and stability of Pd/ZrO₂.

Structure-Dependent Strain Effects

Density functional theory calculations of atomic and molecular adsorption on (111) and (100) metal surfaces reveal marked surface and structure dependent effects of strain. Adsorption in three-fold hollow sites is found to be destabilized by compressive strain whereas the reversed trend is commonly valid for adsorption in four-fold sites. The effects, which are qualitatively explained using a simple two-orbital model, provide insights on how to modify chemical properties by strain design.

A Hydrothermally Stable Irreducible Oxide-Modified Pd/MgAl2 O4 Catalyst for Methane Combustion

Catalytic combustion is promising in removing trace amounts of CH₄ to address serious environmental concerns. Supported Pd-based catalysts are most effective but often suffer from low stability in applications owing to the water-vapor-induced sintering. Herein, we develop a universal strategy to prepare irreducible-oxide-modified Pd/MgAl₂ O₄ catalysts which show high activity and excellent stability against both hydrothemal aging at elevated temperatures and deactivation in long-term reaction under wet conditions. The addition of irreducible oxides inhibited the deep oxidation of Pd in the oxygen-rich conditions, which preserved not only the epitaxial structure but also a suitable active phase of Pd-PdO_x on MgAl₂ O₄ , thus promoting both activity and stability. This work provides new insights into the effect of metal-oxide interaction on CH₄ combustion and offers an avenue to design hydrothermally stable and active combustion catalysts for industrial applications.

The Direct Partial Oxidation of Methane to Dimethyl Ether over Pt/Y2 O3 Catalysts Using an NO/O2 Shuttle

Using a mixture of NO + O₂ as the oxidant enabled the direct selective oxidation of methane to dimethyl ether (DME) over Pt/Y₂ O₃ . The reaction was carried out in a fixed bed reactor at 0.1 MPa over a temperature range of 275-375 °C. During the activity tests, the only carbon-containing products were DME and CO₂ . The DME productivity (μmol g_cat ^-1  h^-1 ) was comparable to oxygenate productivities reported in the literature for strong oxidants (N₂ O, H₂ O₂ , O₃ ). The NO + O₂ mixture formed NO₂ , which acted as the oxygen atom carrier for the ultimate oxidant O₂ . During the methane partial oxidation reaction, NO and NO₂ were not reduced to N₂ . In situ FTIR showed the formation of surface nitrate species, which are considered to be key intermediate species for the selective oxidation.

Particle Size and PdO–Support Interactions in PdO/CeO2-γ Al2O3 Catalysts and Effect on Methane Combustion

In this study, we investigated the effects of sequential impregnation in two PdO/CeO2/Al2O3 nanocatalysts (4Pd-20CeO2/Al2O3 and 20CeO2-4Pd/Al2O₃) on catalytic properties, particle sizes, and metal oxide–support interactions. Pulse chemisorption indicated significantly higher dispersion and smaller particle size in the 20CeO2-4Pd/Al2O₃ catalyst. STEM images of the 4Pd-20CeO2/Al2O₃ catalyst showed PdO nanoparticles on the surface of crystalline Al2O₃. In the 20CeO2-4Pd/Al2O3 catalyst, PdO nanoparticles were strongly embedded on ceria indicating PdO-ceria interactions. Both supports were on separate sites in the two catalysts suggesting weak interactions. PdO particle sizes were 6–12 nm in the 4Pd-20CeO2/Al2O₃ catalyst and 4–8 nm in the 20CeO2-4Pd/Al2O₃ catalyst. Methane conversion was 100% at 275 °C after a 20-min run with the 4Pd-20CeO2/Al2O3 catalyst compared to 25% conversion by the 20CeO2-4Pd/Al2O₃ catalyst under same conditions. The support alumina could stabilize the PdO species and facilitated oxygen migration on the surface and from the bulk in the 4Pd-20CeO2/Al2O3 catalyst. The lower activities in the 20CeO2-4Pd/Al2O₃ catalyst could be due to inaccessibility of PdO active sites at low temperature due to embedment of PdO nanoparticles on ceria. We could infer from our data that sequence of impregnation in catalyst synthesis could significantly influence catalytic properties and methane combustion due to PdO–support interactions.

High Stability of Rh Oxide-Based Thermoresistive Catalytic Combustion Sensors Proven by Operando X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction

Thermoresistive catalytic combustion sensors based on noble metals are very stable stable and highly sensitive devices to monitor potentially explosive atmospheres. We studied and proved the high stability of rhodium oxide-based sensors under working conditions in different CH₄/air mixtures (up to 3.5 vol % methane) with the help of operando X-ray-based characterization techniques, DC resistance measurements, and IR thermography using a specially designed in situ cell. Operando X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy showed that the active Rh species are in the oxidized state and their chemical state is preserved during operation under realistic conditions. The resistance correlated with the surface temperature of the pellistor and is related to the combustion of CH₄, confirming the catalytic nature of the observed sensing process. Only under harsh operation conditions such as an oxygen-free atmosphere or enhanced working current, a reduction in the active Rh₂O₃ phase was observed. Finally, the effect of poisoning causing the lowered activity on the catalytic combustion of methane was investigated. While stable rhodium sulfate might form in a sulfur-poisoned pellistor, silicon dioxide seems to additionally physically block the pores in the alumina ceramics of the pellistor poisoned by hexamethyldisiloxane.

A High-Throughput Screening Approach to Identify New Active and Long-Term Stable Catalysts for Total Oxidation of Methane from Gas-Fueled Lean–Burn Engines

A unique high-throughput approach to identify new catalysts for total oxidation of methane from the exhaust gas of biogas-operated lean-burn engines is presented. The approach consists of three steps: (1) A primary screening using emission-corrected Infrared Thermography (ecIRT). (2) Validation in a conventional plug flow gas phase reactor using a model exhaust gas containing CH4, O2, CO, CO2, NO, NO2, N2O, SO2, H2O. (3) Ageing tests using a simplified exhaust gas (CH4, O2, CO2, SO2, H2O). To demonstrate the efficiency of this approach, one selected dataset with a sol-gel-based catalysts is presented. Compositions are 3 at.% precious metals (Pt, Rh) combined with different amounts of Al, Mn, and Ce in the form of mixed oxides. To find new promising materials for the abatement of methane, about two thousand different compositions were synthesized and ranked using ecIRT, and several hundred were characterized using a plug flow reactor and their ageing behaviour was determined.

Recent advances in three-way catalysts of natural gas vehicles

This review presents recent advances in TWCs for NGVs, particularly for Pd-based catalysts and potential alternatives.

Size effects of Pd nanoparticles supported over CeZrPAl for methane oxidation

Pd nanoparticles accompanied with distorted morphology result in considerable active sites and enhance the intrinsic activity for catalytic methane oxidation.