Promoting CH(4) photoconversion by reconstruction of polaron states.

A single-atomic Pt-doped WO3 (Pt1-WO3) photocatalyst reconstructs polaron states from W to Pt–O sites, enabling a peak CH4-to-CH3OH conversion yield of 1151 μmol·gcat−1·h−1 under 150 mW·cm−2 light.

• Why it matters: Activating inert methane is a key bottleneck for selective oxidation that could mitigate global warming and produce value-added chemicals.
• What they did: The study developed Pt1-WO3 to reconstruct polaron states, then evaluated photocatalytic CH4 activation and conversion in aqueous conditions without photosensitizers, sacrificial reagents, or strong oxidizers.
• The result: Under 150 mW·cm−2 illumination, Pt1-WO3 achieved a peak CH4-to-CH3OH conversion yield of 1151 μmol·gcat−1·h−1, exceeding prior photocatalytic CH4 oxidation reports under similar conditions and suggesting polaron-state tuning can enhance photocatalysis.