Researchers from Brazil develop a new way of converting methane gas into liquid methanol

 A group of researchers from the Federal University of São Carlos have succeeded in converting methane into methanol using light and dispersed transition metals such as copper in a process known as photo-oxidation. The reaction is the best so far for conversion of methane gas into liquid fuel under room conditions of temperature and pressure.  The Cu-PHI catalyst showed a remarkable methanol production (2900 μmol g−1) in 4 hours, with a turnover number of 51 moles of oxygenated liquid product per mole of Cu. Many biofuel production system produce methane and converting these to methanol, increases the storage and use as a chemical feedstock for the production of other chemicals.