Lightning in a Bottle: Turning NatGas into Methanol in One Step

From time to time, we highlight research with the potential to impact the Marcellus/Utica region. In 2023, we told you about Japanese researchers discovering a new (and cheaper) way to convert natural gas into methanol at room temperature in water using a special enzyme (see New Cheap Way to Convert Methane to Methanol in Water at Room Temp). Today, we have another breakthrough method for converting natural gas to methanol, dubbed "lightning in a bottle," that harnesses tiny bursts of plasma — or mini “lightning bolts” — in glass tubes submerged in water.

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