Research progress of reaction mechanism and catalysts on catalytic methane combustion

Large amounts of methane are emitted from coal mining and industrial applications such as gas turbines or mobile sources which also have the characteristics of low concentration and huge volume, and the traditional high temperature incineration method leads to secondary pollution. Therefore, the efficient conversion of methane at low temperature has become an urgent problem. From the perspectives of energy utilization and environmental protection, the catalytic combustion technology is a valid measure to achieve efficient and clear utilization of methane. In this paper, a systematic review of recent research advances in catalytic mechanisms and catalysts is presented. Firstly, the mechanism of methane oxidation is summarized and outlined based on experiments and theories, with emphasis on the "Two-term" model. Secondly, the performance advantages and disadvantages of each catalyst and modification techniques are systematically introduced. Lastly, the perspectives for the future research are proposed, for instance, the use of structural optimization methods to expose more active sites or generate multi-component synergistic catalytic effects, the use of non-noble metal doping and other enhancements to prepare highly efficient catalysts, and the further co-excitation of catalytic performance by multiple external fields. In addition, the improvement of various catalytic mechanisms themselves and the development of new mechanism descriptors are also important directions for the future research.