AI Summary
New technology can convert methane from natural gas into methanol using an easily mass-produced enzyme, offering a cheap and effective way to reduce the carbon footprint of natural gas. Methanol is cleaner and easier to store and transport than other fossil fuels.
A team led by Professor Osami Shoji at Nagoya University in Japan has developed a technology to convert methane, the principal component of natural gas, into methanol at room temperature in water. They used an enzyme that can be easily mass-produced, offering the possibility of a cheap and effective means to reduce the carbon footprint of natural gas. They published the results in ACS Catalysis.
Methane is the key component of natural gas and an abundant natural resource. However, it is chemically stable, requiring huge amounts of energy before it undergoes chemical conversion. One solution is to convert methane to methanol.
Methane can be converted to methanol, which is cleaner than other fossil fuels and can be easily stored and transported. Converting methane to methanol can be done using the methane monooxygenase enzyme. However, the enzyme has a complex structure, making it difficult to handle and