Achieving the ‘dream reaction’, the long sought-after reaction that makes it possible to convert greenhouse gases into green fuels, is no longer just a dream, but a real scientific perspective encouraged by the results of a study that has brought together the main research bodies and universities in Friuli Venezia Giulia.

The Istituto Officina dei materiali of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IOM), the University of Udine, the University of Trieste, Elettra Sincrotrone and Area Science Park have implemented a synergy that has formed a broad and interdisciplinary research group: collaboration on the project has enabled the development of a technology for the preparation of innovative catalysts capable of promoting the transformation of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that negatively affects the energy balance of our planet by favouring global warming. 

The methodology identified concerned, in particular, the possibility of directly converting methane into methanol, a valuable ally in the energy transition process, by means of a new low-cost material based on Cerium and Copper, whose catalytic properties were explored thanks to state-of-the-art techniques available at the region's universities and research centres. 

‘The possibility of synthesising innovative materials at low cost has been investigated, avoiding the use of additional solvents and time-consuming steps in the preparation phase: this technology simply exploits the mechanical force that modifies the structure of the starting material and makes it more efficient in transforming methane into other molecules,’ explain Silvia Mauri, a researcher at CNR-Istituto Officina dei Materiali and Rudy Calligaro, a researcher at the University of Udine, both authors of the work. 

‘The result was twofold: on the one hand having identified a promising material for the catalysis process, and on the other hand having implemented our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of these materials. This has been possible thanks to the use of advanced techniques using synchrotron light, together with the computing power available today. This will make it easier and faster from now on to further improve the design and use of these catalysts.'

The study therefore has important implications on supporting the process of the energy transition imposed by the consequences of global warming: ‘Methane is a precious resource and its exploitation represents a major challenge in heterogeneous catalysis: this is why the scientific community around the world is concentrating its efforts on the search for new materials that facilitate its transformation processes into products that can be used in a more sustainable way,’ adds Luca Braglia from Area Science Park. 'This fundamental study identifies a new class of catalysts prepared in an economically and environmentally more sustainable way. It also confirms how the simultaneous use of several advanced techniques and interdisciplinary skills is necessary to identify and develop new materials and technologies to support the ecological transition.’ 

Carlo Federico Pauletti, PhD student in Physics at the University of Trieste, was also part of the working group: ‘I contributed to the project by creating a computer model representing the catalyst synthesised by Piero Torelli's group (CNR-IOM), and then studying its behaviour through numerical simulations. What emerged from our study is, in agreement with the experimental results, a promising activity with regard to the direct conversion of methane into methanol, due to the particular nano-structural characteristics of the material, also observed in the experiments. 

The wide variety of techniques, both experimental and theoretical, used in the study of this system constitutes a considerable added value according to the UniTS doctoral student: ‘It has greatly improved our understanding of this reaction and the material used, and the great variety of approaches has made the work very stimulating, thanks to the continuous comparison with researchers from all the institutions involved,’ comments Pauletti.

The research, which demonstrates Italy's leading role in tackling the crucial challenge of the green transition and new materials, shows how cooperation between regional top scientific institutions brings results of great impact. The results of this collaboration have been described in the US scientific journal ‘Small’, published by Wiley, which also dedicated a cover page to the study.