Direct conversion of methane into oxygenates

Direct conversion of methane into useful chemicals remains as a big challenge in catalysis in the 21st century. A large number of studies have contributed to the direct conversion of methane in the past decade. Although there is still no direct process with commercial viability at this moment, many new methods and catalysts have been developed for the direct activation and conversion of methane. This review highlights the recent novel approaches to the partial oxidation of methane into useful oxygenates with an emphasis on the selective formation of methanol in the presence of H-2. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.