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Indirect Electrooxidation of Methane to Methyl Bisulfate on a Boron‐Doped Diamond Electrode

MetadataDetails
Publication Date2021-11-26
JournalChemElectroChem
AuthorsJoel Britschgi, Marius Bilke, Wolfgang Schuhmann, Ferdi Schüth
InstitutionsRuhr University Bochum, Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung
Citations11

Abstract Although highly desired and studied for decades, direct methane functionalization to liquid products remains a challenge. We report an electrochemical system using a boron‐doped diamond (BDD) anode in concentrated sulfuric acid that is able to convert methane to methyl bisulfate and methanesulfonic acid without the use of a catalyst by indirect electrochemical oxidation. Due to its high material stability, BDD can be operated at high current densities. High temperature (140 °C) and pressure (70 bar) support the formation of methyl bisulfate to concentrations as high as 160 mM in 3 h and methanesulfonic acid to concentrations of up to 750 mM in 8 h. We present a novel way of catalyst‐free electrochemical methane oxidation and show general trends and limitations of this reaction.

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