Methanol was directly produced by the partial oxidation of methane with four-component mixed oxide catalysts. Four-component(Mo-Bi-Cr-Si) mixed oxide catalysts were prepared by the co-precipitation and sol-gel methods. The catalyst prepared by the sol-gel method showed about eleven times higher surface area than that prepared by the co-precipitation method. From the O2-TPD experiment of the prepared catalysts, it was proven that there exists two types of oxygen species, and the oxygen species that participates in the partial oxidation reaction is the lattice oxygen desorbing around 750℃. The optimum reaction condition for methanol production was 420°C, 50 bar, flow rate of 115 mL/min, and CH4/O2 ratio of 10/1.5, providing methane conversion and methanol selectivity of 3.2 and 26.7%, respectively.

Methanol and formaldehyde were produced directly by the partial oxidation of methane over mixed oxide catalysts. The catalysts were composed of Mo and Bi with late-transition metals, such as Mn, Fe, and Co. The reaction was carried out at 450℃, 50 bar in a fixed-bed differential reactor. The prepared catalysts were characterized by O2-TPD and BET apparatus. Among the catalysts used, the catalyst composed of 1:1:2.5 molar ratio of Mo:Bi:Mn showed the best methane conversion and methanol selectivity. The change in ratio of methane to oxygen affected at the conversion and selectivity, and the most proper ratio was 10:1.5. Methane conversion, methanol and formaldehyde selectivities increased with the surface areas of the catalysts. From the O2-TPD result, it was found that the oxygen species responsible for this reaction might be the lattice oxygen species desorbed at high temperature around 800℃.