Visible-light-driven conversion of methane to methanol mediated by hydroxyl radical

Selective oxidation of methane (CH 4 ) to value-added liquid methanol (CH 3 OH) drives the synthesis of chemicals and energy sustainability. It is extremely challenging to mimic in artificial reaction systems due to the inertness of CH 4 molecule and overoxidation to byproducts. In this work, we developed an effective and noble-metal-free iron-based catalyst (UNFe) that delivers exceptional performance of methane oxidation to methanol with visible light at room temperature. Specifically, the hydroxyl radical ( OH) generated through Fe III /Fe II cycling in UNFe catalyst is essential for promoting activity of methane oxidation. Importantly, the excellent generation yield and selectivity of methanol, up to 289 ± 10 μmol·g −1 and 96%, respectively. This report provides an effective and cost-effective catalyst system for enhanced oxidation of methane to methanol in a facile strategy.