Photo-catalytic conversion of methane into methanol using visible laser

The photo-catalytic conversion of methane into methanol was investigated under different experimental parameters such as catalyst concentration, laser power, laser exposure time, effects of free radical generator (H2O2) and electron capture agent (Fe3+), using visible laser light. The study was carried out at room temperature with a simple set up using a laser light, water and a semiconductor photo-catalyst WO3. The reaction products (methanol, O2 and CO2) were characterized using gas chromatography. The use of WO3 as photo-catalyst replaces the UV laser light with visible laser light. This greatly simplifies reactor design and permits flexibility in the selection of a laser source in the visible region. The oxygen to tungsten ratio in WO3 at different temperatures was studied by XPS.