Now, writing in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Pablo Lustemberg, M. Verónica Ganduglia-Pirovano, Sanjaya Senanayake and co-workers report carbon-modified, monometallic Pd–CeO2 catalysts with 100% selectivity towards methanol at 75 °C (pictured).The catalysts are synthesized using a mechanochemical method, where palladium(ii) acetate is mixed with a commercial ceria support in a ball mill. The mechanochemical method enhances the formation of a stable and active interfacial carbon (iC) layer, creating a distinctive Pd–iC–CeO2 interface. Methane oxidation with H2O2 as the oxidant is then examined over the Pd–iC–CeO2 catalyst. At 75 °C, methanol selectivity is 100%. Comparison with reference catalysts operating under identical conditions underpins the need for the precise Pd–iC–CeO2 moiety, as changing the individual components of the catalyst leads to diminished methanol selectivity. The Pd–iC–CeO2 interface structure is highly stable through multiple catalytic cycles, with activity remaining within error and no Pd leaching detected.
