Lower alcohols and methane can be used as raw materials in the chemical industry. We have developed electrolysis devices for the conversion of lower alcohols into esters, aldehydes, and acetals. Furthermore, we also studied the direct catalytic conversion of methane to C2 hydrocarbons and aromatics. Both of the processes are partial oxidations based on dehydrogenative reactions, where the type of catalyst and the reaction conditions have a significant influence on the molecular conversion processes.

In spite of a large volume of previous studies, the nature of the active sites and the reaction mechanisms governing catalytic reactions are not known in detail. This is primarily because the synthesis of catalysts by traditional methods produces a wide distribution of metal particle sizes and compositions, impeding the accurate assessment on the nature of the surface, the active sites, and the catalytic behavior. This presentation will demonstrate the new synthetic route developed to prepare well-defined catalysts to achieve an effective link between characterizations and reactivity.