Coordination-tailored atomic interfaces for selective CH4-to-C2 conversion in aqueous solution
摘要
Selective CH4-to-C2 oxygenates conversion under mild conditions represents a frontier challenge in catalysis science with promising commercial implications. Herein, we report the successful and controlled construction of densely distributed O2-bridged Fe diatomic (Fe1-O2-Fe1) interfaces in carbon nitride aerogel-supported Fe dual-atom catalysts (Fe-DAC/g-C3N4) for selective methane oxidation to acetic acid (CH3COOH) in aqueous solution under mild conditions. Experimental studies reveal that the Fe1-O2-Fe1 atomic interfaces with tailored coordination environments and precisely modulated Fe-Fe distance (2.92 ± 0.05 Å) and oxygen-bridged coordination environment synergistically promote the activation and cleavage of C-H bond to form methyl radicals (•CH3), carboxyl intermediates (•COOH), followed by selective C-C coupling via a radical recombination pathway. This concerted mechanism achieves unprecedented performance with near 100% selectivity and a remarkable CH3COOH production rate of 0.79 mmol gcat−1 h−1 under ambient conditions. Notably, industrially relevant pressures (1.5 MPa CH4) elevate the production rate to 1.67 mmol gcat−1 h−1 while maintaining >96% selectivity.