In this section
@article{Li:2026:10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103033,
author = {Li, Y and Yao, L and Li, J and Yu, T and Kafizas, A and Li, Y and Qiu, L and Kay, LJ and Wang, T and Rahman, MA and Anand, N and Sadaf, SM and Zhou, B},
doi = {10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103033},
journal = {Chem},
title = {Water-triggered photocatalytic oxidative coupling of methane toward CH over Au/GaN nanoarchitecture},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103033},
year = {2026}
}
TY - JOUR
AB - Solar-driven oxidative coupling of methane (CH4) offers a sustainable route for synthesizing value-added chemicals beyond petroleum. To address current thermodynamic and selectivity challenges, a photocatalytic system employing nano-gold-decorated GaN nanowires is developed for the efficient conversion of CH4 into ethane (C2H6), using water as a green oxidant. The optimized catalyst delivers a remarkable C2H6 production rate of 112.6 mmol⋅gcat−1⋅h−1 with 94.9% selectivity and a turnover number of 40,824 after 256 h operation. Mechanistic investigations reveal that photogenerated holes trapped at Au sites oxidize H2O into highly active ·OH radicals. These radicals significantly lower the energy barrier for C2H6 formation via an H-exchange mechanism. Ultimately, the synergistic Au/GaN interface inhibits CH4 over-oxidation, showcasing a highly promising, environmentally friendly pathway for solar-to-chemical energy conversion.
AU - Li,Y
AU - Yao,L
AU - Li,J
AU - Yu,T
AU - Kafizas,A
AU - Li,Y
AU - Qiu,L
AU - Kay,LJ
AU - Wang,T
AU - Rahman,MA
AU - Anand,N
AU - Sadaf,SM
AU - Zhou,B
DO - 10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103033
PY - 2026///
SN - 2451-9294
TI - Water-triggered photocatalytic oxidative coupling of methane toward CH over Au/GaN nanoarchitecture
T2 - Chem
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103033
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103033
ER -
Dr. Andreas Kafizas
Leader - Solar Coatings Group
e-mail: a.kafizas@imperial.ac.uk
tel: +44(0)20 7594 6752
twitter: @CoatingsSolar