Cost-effective copper, cobalt, and nickel catalysts for methane conversion: from greenhouse gas to green chemicals

Abstract

Methane is a notorious and potent greenhouse gas with a greenhouse effect potential 25 times higher than carbon dioxide. Current technologies for methane are limited by high energy demands, CO₂ emissions and by-product pollution, and costly catalysts. Hence, it is urgent to seek clean processing technologies that can utilize its dual properties as an energy source and raw chemical feedstock to unlock its full potential and contribute to environmental remediation. This review focuses on the applications of copper, cobalt, and nickel transition metal catalysts in the conversion of methane, with a particular focus on the development of the holy grail reaction of converting methane to methanol. It outlines recent breakthroughs in active-site engineering, multi-metal synergy mechanisms, and DFT computational predictions over methane activation catalysts. Based on these findings, strategies for the design of Cu–Co–Ni multi-metal materials to promote the application of inexpensive metal catalysts in methane conversion are proposed. These will ultimately promote the evolution of methane conversion technology towards low-energy consumption, low-emissions, and low cost, providing a technical roadmap for the environmentally friendly development of natural gas resources.