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Abstract Catalytic transformation of CH 4 under a mild condition is significant for efficient utilization of shale gas under the circumstance of switching raw materials of chemical industries to shale gas. Here, we report the transformation of CH 4 to acetic acid and methanol through coupling of CH 4 , CO and O 2 on single-site Rh 1 O 5 anchored in microporous aluminosilicates in solution at ≤150 °C. The activity of these singly dispersed precious metal sites for production of organic oxygenates can reach about 0.10 acetic acid molecules on a Rh 1 O 5 site per second at 150 °C with a selectivity of ~70% for production of acetic acid. It is higher than the activity of free Rh cations by >1000 times. Computational studies suggest that the first C–H bond of CH 4 is activated by Rh 1 O 5 anchored on the wall of micropores of ZSM-5; the formed CH 3 then couples with CO and OH, to produce acetic acid over a low activation barrier.
Tang et al. (Mon,) studied this question.