Publication date: 15th December 2025
The production of methanol currently relies on the thermal conversion of methane to syngas, followed by Fischer–Tropsch synthesis. This route operates at high temperatures, is energy-intensive, and suffers from poor selectivity. Electrochemical methane oxidation offers an attractive alternative, enabling single-step conversion under mild conditions with direct integration of renewable electricity. However, major challenges limit its development: methane is difficult to activate due to its stability, and achieving partial oxidation is even harder, as full oxidation to CO₂ is thermodynamically favored.1
Comparing results and discerning catalytic trends in electrochemical methane oxidation remain difficult because testing conditions vary widely. This highlights an overlooked challenge in the field: the lack of reliable, standardized testing protocols, and the limited understanding of how experimental parameters influence the electrocatalytic behaviour.
In Prof. Escudero-Escribano’s group, we addressed this gap by systematically examining how routine experimental choices affect apparent activity, using IrOₓ in acidic media as a model system.2 We analyze the impact of temperature, surface-area normalization, and measurement technique, showing that these factors can drastically alter measured performance. From these insights, we propose practical guidelines to improve reproducibility, including transparent reporting of pre-conditioning, consistent estimation of the electrochemically active surface area (ECSA), replicate measurements with uncertainties, and thoughtful selection of measurement modes.
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