TY - JOUR
T1 - Methane hydrate formation in confined nanospace can surpass nature
AU - Casco, Mirian E.
AU - Silvestre-Albero, Joaquín
AU - Ramírez-Cuesta, Anibal J.
AU - Rey, Fernando
AU - Jordá, Jose L.
AU - Bansode, Atul
AU - Urakawa, Atsushi
AU - Peral, Inma
AU - Martínez-Escandell, Manuel
AU - Kaneko, Katsumi
AU - Rodríguez-Reinoso, Francisco
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015, Nature Publishing Group. All rights reserved.
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - Natural methane hydrates are believed to be the largest source of hydrocarbons on Earth. These structures are formed in specific locations such as deep-sea sediments and the permafrost based on demanding conditions of high pressure and low temperature. Here we report that, by taking advantage of the confinement effects on nanopore space, synthetic methane hydrates grow under mild conditions (3.5MPa and 2°C), with faster kinetics (within minutes) than nature, fully reversibly and with a nominal stoichiometry that mimics nature. The formation of the hydrate structures in nanospace and their similarity to natural hydrates is confirmed using inelastic neutron scattering experiments and synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. These findings may be a step towards the application of a smart synthesis of methane hydrates in energy-demanding applications (for example, transportation).
AB - Natural methane hydrates are believed to be the largest source of hydrocarbons on Earth. These structures are formed in specific locations such as deep-sea sediments and the permafrost based on demanding conditions of high pressure and low temperature. Here we report that, by taking advantage of the confinement effects on nanopore space, synthetic methane hydrates grow under mild conditions (3.5MPa and 2°C), with faster kinetics (within minutes) than nature, fully reversibly and with a nominal stoichiometry that mimics nature. The formation of the hydrate structures in nanospace and their similarity to natural hydrates is confirmed using inelastic neutron scattering experiments and synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. These findings may be a step towards the application of a smart synthesis of methane hydrates in energy-demanding applications (for example, transportation).
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84923882007&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/ncomms7432
DO - 10.1038/ncomms7432
M3 - Artículo
AN - SCOPUS:84923882007
SN - 2041-1723
VL - 6
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
M1 - 6432
ER -