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Communication

One-pot synthesis of toluene from methane and methanol catalyzed by GaN nanowire

Mingxin Liu1,2,§, Zewen Wu3,§, Xianghua Kong3,4( ), Xu Zhang1, Lida Tan2, Hong Guo3,4, Chao-Jun Li2( )
State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou 730000, China
Department of Chemistry, and FRQNT Centre for Green Chemistry and Catalysts, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke West, Montreal, QC, H3A 0B8, Canada
College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, 3688 Nanhai Avenue, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518061, China
Department of Physics, McGill University, Rutherford Building, 3600 University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2T8, Canada

§ Mingxin Liu and Zewen Wu contributed equally to this work.

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Graphical Abstract

A GaN-nanowire-catalyzed one-step facile photo-synthesis of the C7 compound toluene, which contains both sp2- and sp3-carbons, via renewable methane and methanol feedstock is reported. The synthesis can be carried out in both photo- and thermal- conditions. In-depth mechanism study has revealed the outstanding catalytic activity of the new-generation semiconductor catalyst towards the engineering of C–H and C–C bonds.

Abstract

The generation of aromatic benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) compounds from non-petroleum feedstocks is of particular interest for chemists in the eyes of sustainability. Herein, a novel synthesis of toluene catalyzed by GaN semiconductor nanowire arrays is reported. Using methane and methanol as starting materials, the GaN nanowire arrays can synergistically facilitate the facile generation of toluene under either photo-irradiation or thermal-conditions. The detailed computational studies unveiled different mechanisms involved for the photo- and thermal-toluene synthesis.

Keywords

GaN nanowirephotocatalysisbenzenetolueneand xylene (BTX) compoundsrenewable feedstock

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Nano Research
Volume 16 Issue 5,
May 2023
Pages 6512-6516
DOI: 10.1007/s12274-022-5294-2
Cite this article:
Liu M, Wu Z, Kong X, et al. One-pot synthesis of toluene from methane and methanol catalyzed by GaN nanowire. Nano Research, 2023, 16(5): 6512-6516. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-022-5294-2
Topics:
CatalystsNanowires

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Received: 13 September 2022
Revised: 21 October 2022
Accepted: 04 November 2022
Published: 03 January 2023
© Tsinghua University Press 2022
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