@Article{cl.2026.076594,
AUTHOR = {Xiaohan Zhang, Han Song, Maoyuan Yin, Xiaoli Rong},
TITLE = {Photothermal Methane-to-Ethanol Conversion over Cu Single-Atom–Cu<sub>9</sub>S<sub>5</sub> Coupled Crystalline Carbon Nitride},
JOURNAL = {Chalcogenide Letters},
VOLUME = {23},
YEAR = {2026},
NUMBER = {1},
PAGES = {--},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/CL/v23n1/65642},
ISSN = {1584-8663},
ABSTRACT = {We report the rational design and synthesis of a novel trifunctional catalyst comprising atomically dispersed copper single-atom (Cu-SAC) sites and Cu<sub>9</sub>S<sub>5</sub> nanoparticles co-loaded onto a highly crystalline carbon nitride (CCN) support for the photothermal conversion of methane to ethanol. The distinct active sites operate in synergy: the Cu-SAC sites, coordinated to the nitrogen-rich CCN framework, serve as highly efficient centers for the initial activation of methane’s C-H bond to form methyl radicals, while the plasmonic Cu<sub>9</sub>S<sub>5</sub> nanoparticles act as dedicated sites for the subsequent C-C coupling and partial oxidation steps, driven by a combination of photochemical and photothermal effects. Under mild conditions (200°C, full-spectrum light), the optimized Cu-SAC–Cu<sub>9</sub>S<sub>5</sub>/CCN catalyst achieves an exceptional ethanol production rate of 385 μmol g<sup>−</sup><sup>1</sup> h<sup>−</sup><sup>1</sup> with a selectivity of 85% at a methane conversion of 5.2%. Mechanistic studies reveal that a Z-scheme heterojunction between CCN and Cu<sub>9</sub>S<sub>5</sub> facilitates efficient charge separation, while the spatial decoupling of C-H activation and C-C coupling functions is crucial for suppressing the formation of CO<sub>2</sub>. This work presents a powerful catalyst design strategy that integrates atomically precise active sites with plasmonic co-catalysts for tackling challenging chemical transformations.},
DOI = {10.32604/cl.2026.076594}
}