Suffolk Reporter

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a new catalyst that can recycle methane emissions at room temperature. This breakthrough, which has been published in the journal ACS Nano, could pave the way for practical methane recycling applications.

The catalyst is made from magnesium oxide nanoparticles embedded within a thin layer of copper oxide on top of copper. "Researchers have been continually searching for a catalyst that can achieve methane conversion at moderate temperatures," said Arephin Islam, lead author and Brookhaven chemist. The new catalyst does not require high temperatures and uses low-cost materials, making it potentially scalable for commercial use.

Brookhaven chemists Ping Liu and Erwei Huang had earlier theorized that integrating nanostructured magnesium oxide with copper oxide might be effective for methane conversion at mild temperatures. Jose Rodriguez, principal investigator of the research, stated: “It was worth investigating how magnesium oxide in nanoparticle form could be more reactive toward methane.”

To test their hypothesis, researchers used techniques such as ambient-pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at Brookhaven's National Synchrotron Light Source II. These methods allowed them to analyze chemical interactions on the catalyst surface during reactions in real-time.

The AP-XPS and STM measurements demonstrated that the catalyst activates methane at room temperature by breaking its carbon-hydrogen bonds and converting it to ethane. The performance of this new system rivals expensive catalysts based on metals like platinum or palladium.

In addition to recycling methane, another study led by Brookhaven showed that this catalytic system could also convert carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide and other carbon species at room temperature. According to Islam: “Together, these findings are a significant step toward sustainable conversion of two potent greenhouse gases and carbon mitigation strategies.”

This research was conducted in collaboration with scientists from Stony Brook University, the University of Michigan, and the Central University of Venezuela, with funding from the DOE Office of Science.