(178a) Patterned Cu-Ti Bimetallic Oxides for Electrooxidation of Methane to Methanol at Ambient Conditions

Sustainable management of CH₄ has been the overarching goal of this century. Additionally, due to its enhanced global warming potential, it is urgent to utilize methane to produce value-added products. The existing method of utilization of CH₄ involves steam reforming to synthesis gas which then is thermocatalyzed to obtain value-added products. A significant drawback of such a process comprises a considerable carbon footprint and frequent catalyst poisoning. Electrochemical oxidation of CH₄ in an aqueous media stands out as an attractive technology due to its low carbon footprint and cheap electricity. In this work, we present patterned Cu-Ti bimetallic oxides to circumvent the challenges of CH₄ activation on an electrocatalyst. Interfacial engineering of the bimetallic oxide catalyst aids in obtaining methanol and formic acid at high faradaic efficiencies from CH₄ oxidation. Herein, we also report the effects of operating parameters such as applied potential, and the number of interfaces on faradaic efficiencies of methanol production. Full product distribution from CH₄ oxidation using HPLC and GC will also be showcased as a part of this work.