Exploring Sustainable Routes for Methane Valorisation at ICN2: A Research Endeavor Funded by an ERC Consolidator Grant

by Arlet Lozano Arenas

An ICN2 EU-funded project called ATOMISTIC (2023-2028) aims to investigate methodologies for efficiently triggering and converting methane, the main component of natural gas, into methanol. The leader of this initiative is ICREA Prof. María Escudero Escribano, head of the NanoElectrocatalysis and Sustainable Chemistry Group.

The ATOMISTIC project is named ‘Atomic-Scale Tailored Materials for Electrochemical Methane Activation and Production of Valuable Chemicals’ and it is funded by the ERC Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC). This initiative, spearheaded by ICREA Prof. María Escudero Escribano, is committed to exploring sustainable pathways for methane activation and on-site conversion to methanol through electrochemistry. The leader underscores the necessity of sustainable methodologies and innovative materials to generate green fuels essential for a decarbonised future.

Did you know that methane, the primary component of natural gas, is the second largest cause of climate change, with its emissions constantly rising? This is why the European Green Deal aims for a climate-neutral society by 2050 and a drastic 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. In response to this critical challenge, the direct conversion of these gases into renewable fuels and valuable chemicals holds immense potential. This is precisely where Prof. María Escudero Escribano, leader of our NanoElectrocatalysis and Sustainable Chemistry Group, directs her research efforts, focusing on two primary objectives.

Firstly, the principal investigator and her team aim to pioneer electrochemical methane activation and partial oxidation techniques. In other terms, this process involves the application of electricity to facilitate the chemical conversion of methane gas, typically with the assistance of a catalyst, to drive chemical reactions that break down methane molecules and form desired products. Secondly, Escudero-Escribano’s team focuses on controlling the interaction between the surface properties of materials and electricity to efficiently convert one chemical substance into another, such as methane into methanol or methanol into other value-added products such as dimethyl carbonate.

The attainable dream of shaping a decarbonised future via electrochemistry

With the cost of renewable electricity declining and in the pursuit of a greener future, the project’s leader views electrochemical processes as highly promising. As mentioned above, this approach is of interest for its potential to produce valuable fuels and chemicals at ambient conditions, more sustainably, safely, and energy-efficiently compared to traditional methodologies.

Considering that the conversion of chemical reactions into electrical energy is seen as a method to store chemical energy in the form of fuels like hydrogen and methanol, an ideal device, as noted by Prof. María Escudero Escribano, would be a co-electrolyser capable of simultaneously conducting methane electrolysis alongside that of carbon dioxide or water. Such a device would operate using renewable electricity.

Overall, direct electrochemical methane to methanol conversion represents a revolutionary reaction that would transform a potent greenhouse gas into a renewable fuel in a 'dream device', using sustainable electricity on-site. Attaining this 'dream fuel' would be a game changer. Successful outcomes from ATOMISTIC will yield significant breakthroughs in chemistry and catalysis, opening doors to novel sustainable methods to produce environmentally friendly chemicals.