‘Lightning in a Bottle’ Transforms Methane into High-Demand Methanol Through Breakthrough Process

By harnessing tiny bursts of plasma—or "mini lightning bolts"—in glass tubes submerged in water, chemists have discovered a new way to turn natural gas into liquid fuel. Utilizing literal "lighting in a bottle" the team from Northwestern University successfully converted methane directly into methanol in a single step. Methanol is a versatile, high-demand industrial chemical