Pd nanocatalysts engineering for direct oxidation methane-to-methanol with 99.7% selectivity

Abstract Pd catalysts demonstrate remarkable activity and selectivity for the direct oxidation methane-to-methanol (DOMM) under mild conditions. However, understanding the structure–performance relationship is challenging because Pd catalysts used in existing studies have complex polycrystalline str...

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Main Authors: Peilin Deng, Yueshan Xu, Daoxiong Wu, Ying Liang, Xue Zhang, Zhitong Wang, Jing Li, Xinlong Tian
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-08-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63067-0
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author Peilin Deng
Yueshan Xu
Daoxiong Wu
Ying Liang
Xue Zhang
Zhitong Wang
Jing Li
Xinlong Tian
author_facet Peilin Deng
Yueshan Xu
Daoxiong Wu
Ying Liang
Xue Zhang
Zhitong Wang
Jing Li
Xinlong Tian
author_sort Peilin Deng
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Pd catalysts demonstrate remarkable activity and selectivity for the direct oxidation methane-to-methanol (DOMM) under mild conditions. However, understanding the structure–performance relationship is challenging because Pd catalysts used in existing studies have complex polycrystalline structures. In this work, well-defined Pd nanocrystals with controlled morphologies are synthesized and used as model systems to investigate the origins of the observed structure-activity differences. Our findings indicate that DOMM activity is primarily governed by crystal facet type rather than nanocrystal size. The lower d-band center of the Pd {111} facet weakens the adsorption strength of critical intermediates, including *O2 and *OH species, promoting H2O2 generation and CH3OH formation, respectively. Consequently, {111}-dominated octahedral Pd nanocrystals achieve an exceptional CH3OH yield of 201.8 mmol·gPd −1·h−1, three times higher than that of their {100}-dominated hexahedral counterparts. These results provide key insights into the structure-dependent behavior of Pd catalysts and pave the way for designing high-performance catalysts for DOMM.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2041-1723
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
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spelling doaj-art-b849065fc89d4d4a8dfaa1c150729ba32025-08-24T11:36:55ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-08-011611810.1038/s41467-025-63067-0Pd nanocatalysts engineering for direct oxidation methane-to-methanol with 99.7% selectivityPeilin Deng0Yueshan Xu1Daoxiong Wu2Ying Liang3Xue Zhang4Zhitong Wang5Jing Li6Xinlong Tian7State Key Laboratory of Tropic Ocean Engineering Materials and Materials Evaluation, School of Marine Science and Engineering, Hainan UniversityState Key Laboratory of Tropic Ocean Engineering Materials and Materials Evaluation, School of Marine Science and Engineering, Hainan UniversityState Key Laboratory of Tropic Ocean Engineering Materials and Materials Evaluation, School of Marine Science and Engineering, Hainan UniversityState Key Laboratory of Tropic Ocean Engineering Materials and Materials Evaluation, School of Marine Science and Engineering, Hainan UniversityState Key Laboratory of Tropic Ocean Engineering Materials and Materials Evaluation, School of Marine Science and Engineering, Hainan UniversityState Key Laboratory of Tropic Ocean Engineering Materials and Materials Evaluation, School of Marine Science and Engineering, Hainan UniversityState Key Laboratory of Tropic Ocean Engineering Materials and Materials Evaluation, School of Marine Science and Engineering, Hainan UniversityState Key Laboratory of Tropic Ocean Engineering Materials and Materials Evaluation, School of Marine Science and Engineering, Hainan UniversityAbstract Pd catalysts demonstrate remarkable activity and selectivity for the direct oxidation methane-to-methanol (DOMM) under mild conditions. However, understanding the structure–performance relationship is challenging because Pd catalysts used in existing studies have complex polycrystalline structures. In this work, well-defined Pd nanocrystals with controlled morphologies are synthesized and used as model systems to investigate the origins of the observed structure-activity differences. Our findings indicate that DOMM activity is primarily governed by crystal facet type rather than nanocrystal size. The lower d-band center of the Pd {111} facet weakens the adsorption strength of critical intermediates, including *O2 and *OH species, promoting H2O2 generation and CH3OH formation, respectively. Consequently, {111}-dominated octahedral Pd nanocrystals achieve an exceptional CH3OH yield of 201.8 mmol·gPd −1·h−1, three times higher than that of their {100}-dominated hexahedral counterparts. These results provide key insights into the structure-dependent behavior of Pd catalysts and pave the way for designing high-performance catalysts for DOMM.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63067-0
spellingShingle Peilin Deng
Yueshan Xu
Daoxiong Wu
Ying Liang
Xue Zhang
Zhitong Wang
Jing Li
Xinlong Tian
Pd nanocatalysts engineering for direct oxidation methane-to-methanol with 99.7% selectivity
Nature Communications
title Pd nanocatalysts engineering for direct oxidation methane-to-methanol with 99.7% selectivity
title_full Pd nanocatalysts engineering for direct oxidation methane-to-methanol with 99.7% selectivity
title_fullStr Pd nanocatalysts engineering for direct oxidation methane-to-methanol with 99.7% selectivity
title_full_unstemmed Pd nanocatalysts engineering for direct oxidation methane-to-methanol with 99.7% selectivity
title_short Pd nanocatalysts engineering for direct oxidation methane-to-methanol with 99.7% selectivity
title_sort pd nanocatalysts engineering for direct oxidation methane to methanol with 99 7 selectivity
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63067-0
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AT yueshanxu pdnanocatalystsengineeringfordirectoxidationmethanetomethanolwith997selectivity
AT daoxiongwu pdnanocatalystsengineeringfordirectoxidationmethanetomethanolwith997selectivity
AT yingliang pdnanocatalystsengineeringfordirectoxidationmethanetomethanolwith997selectivity
AT xuezhang pdnanocatalystsengineeringfordirectoxidationmethanetomethanolwith997selectivity
AT zhitongwang pdnanocatalystsengineeringfordirectoxidationmethanetomethanolwith997selectivity
AT jingli pdnanocatalystsengineeringfordirectoxidationmethanetomethanolwith997selectivity
AT xinlongtian pdnanocatalystsengineeringfordirectoxidationmethanetomethanolwith997selectivity