Considerable study has been done on methane oxidation to yield methanol, used in producing valuable substances like formaldehyde, dimethyl ether, and more.
A new iron complex has been developed as a catalyst for the oxidation of methane to selectively convert it to methanol. This complex can efficiently oxidize methane by internally trapping methane while preventing the overoxidation of the produced methanol. Using this complex, the direct and selective conversion of methane to methanol has been successfully achieved in an aqueous solution.