From Methane to Hydrogen: Innovations and Implications

Dear Colleagues,

Over the years, methane has served as a cornerstone resource with versatile opportunities, from heating and energy generation to chemical conversion and gas product synthesis. Its abundance, as well as low carbon dioxide emissions, has driven growing interest in leveraging methane for hydrogen production, which may be used as a clean fuel, partially reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. Current pathways for hydrogen generation from methane include steam methane reforming, coal gasification, combustion, methane pyrolysis/cracking, autothermal reforming, or partial combustion to syngas. While mature, these technologies face persistent challenges in achieving higher energy efficiency, lower production costs, and minimized environmental impacts. For example, fuel-rich methane combustion, although capable of producing hydrogen, faces stability and operational challenges. Issues such as environmental impact and emissions, corrosive environments, and cost-effectiveness necessitate continuous innovation. Therefore, enhancing the sustainability and efficiency of hydrogen production across all these dimensions is of paramount importance. New research has explored advanced catalytic routes, innovative electrified processes (non-thermal plasmas, microwave, photothermal, and electro-catalytic activation), and the utilization of molten metals to enable low-carbon hydrogen generation.

This Special Issue of Methane is dedicated to showcasing recent advances in methane-to-hydrogen innovations and implications. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Hydrogen from methane;
• Methane conversion methods;
• Hydrogen production methods;
• Methane combustion;
• Low carbon hydrogen production;
• Catalytic methane conversion;
• Hydrogen fuels and utilization

Dr. Elodie Fourré
Dr. Xiaohai Zheng
Dr. Jeffrey D. Moore
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Methane is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• methane conversion
• hydrogen production
• syngas
• methane pyrolysis
• low carbon hydrogen production
• catalytic activation
• plasma catalysis
• methane recycling