Engineering PdAu/CeO₂ Alloy/Oxide Interfaces for Selective Methane-to-Methanol Conversion with Water

The direct conversion of methane to methanol remains a critical challenge in methane valorization. In this study, we unveil the crucial role of PdAu/CeO2 catalysts in enabling selective methane transformation under mild conditions, using only water as the sole oxidant. Through a combination of experimental techniques, including XPS and catalytic testing, alongside density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we demonstrate that a Pd0.3Au0.7/CeO2 catalyst, which predominantly exposes isolated Pd atoms, achieves remarkable methanol selectivity (~80%) at 500 K with a 1:1 methane-to-water ratio. While Pd/CeO2 efficiently activates methane, its tendency for overreaction leads to complete methanol decomposition, thereby limiting selectivity. Alloying Pd with Au on ceria mitigates this over-reactivity, preventing methanol degradation while maintaining sufficient catalytic activity. The PdAu/CeO₂ composite exhibits a synergistic effect: Pd in contact with the ceria support facilitates methane activation and water dissociation, while Au fine-tunes reactivity to promote methanol formation. DFT calculations confirm that isolated Pd sites at the PdAu/CeO2 interface play a key role in balancing activity and selectivity. This work underscores the importance of alloy/oxide interfaces in controlling selective methane conversion with water and offers valuable insights for designing highly efficient catalysts for methanol synthesis.