Selective, Aerobic Oxidation of Methane to Formaldehyde over Platinum - a Perspective

Abstract

The direct formation of formaldehyde in the selective, aerobic oxidation of methane in the presence of liquid water at ca. 498 K has recently been described. One of the intriguing observations in the aerobic oxidation of methane over platinum in the presence of water is the absence of the typically observed negative selectivity-conversion dependency (up to a methane conversion of 1 %). In this perspective, the main differences between this route and other methods for the selective oxidation of methane are being described. Possible reaction pathways for the formation of formaldehyde are discussed. Further developments for this newly developed methane activation route are highlighted.