Methane electrochemical oxidation at low temperature on Rh single atom/NiO/V2O5 nanocomposite

The direct conversion of methane is still a challenge. Here, an enhanced catalyst for direct and selective oxidation of methane at low temperature was prepared by exploiting Rh single atoms, dispersed in a mixed oxides nanocomposite (based on NiO and V2O5). We found that the prepared nanocatalyst can catalyze the selective oxidation of CH4 efficiently to methanol. The maximum methanol production was 5.2 μmol/hcm2 (0.65 mol h−1 g−1) with a current efficiency of 91 %. A negligible production of CO2 (current efficiency of 6%) was the only other product. The methanol molar fraction kept stable for at least 500 min, at 100 mA, and T = 100 °C. The comparative analysis with the literature results highlights the high efficiency of our catalyst in selectively promoting methanol production with high yields and stability, providing a novel pathway for the production of efficient catalysts based on the exploitation of single-atoms dispersed on useful surfaces.