methanol
Brazilian researchers have discovered a way to convert methane into liquid methanol at room temperature. This is a big deal because methanol burns more cleanly (less carbon dioxide emissions) than burning methane (i.e. natural gas). This new process uses light and scattered transition metals such as copper in a process known as photo-oxidation. Conventional methods of converting methane into methanol require a lot of heat and pressure that generates a significant amount of CO2 as a byproduct. There’s no real advantage to burning methanol created that way. This discovery sidesteps the heat and pressure needed to convert methane into methanol.
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