Photothermal methane coupling into liquid fuels with hydrogen evolution over nanocatalysts based on layered double hydroxide (LDH).

The increasing energy and environmental problems have made clean energy-driven catalysis a hot research topic. Methane is an earth-abundant raw material but difficult to be converted by thermochemical processes. It is of great significance to seek novel strategies to convert methane into high-value chemicals. Herein, we synthesize a series of transition metal catalysts based on layered double hydroxide precursors which were used for photothermal methane nonoxidative coupling reactions. The strong photothermal and chemisorption effects of the derived transition metal nanostructures allow the efficient activation of methane molecules. Among them, alumina-supported metallic Ni and NiCo-alloy catalysts show excellent methane nonoxidative coupling activities, achieved hydrogen production rates of 4816.53 μ mol g -1 h -1 and 5130.9 μ mol g -1 h -1 , accompanied by liquid fuels production rates of 59.2 mg g -1 h -1 and 63 mg g -1 h -1 , respectively. The findings, therefore, provide a new strategy for methane nonoxidative coupling driven by light energy at mild conditions.