The direct conversion of methane to methanol is very promising to achieve a decarbonized future but remains a great challenge. The electrochemical activation and partial oxidation of methane to methanol are highly attractive to enable the direct conversion in a sustainable and decentralized way. In this review, we present an overview of the main strategies that have allowed to gain mechanistic insight into the electrochemical activation of methane. We discuss the developments of the direct and indirect electrochemical methane activation strategies as well as the opportunities and challenges toward the electrocatalytic conversion of methane to methanol.

中文翻译：

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甲烷可持续电化学氧化为甲醇的策略

甲烷直接转化为甲醇对于实现脱碳的未来非常有希望，但仍然是一个巨大的挑战。甲烷的电化学活化和部分氧化为甲醇的吸引力极高，可实现以可持续且分散的方式进行直接转化。在这篇综述中，我们对主要策略进行了概述，这些策略已使人们对甲烷的电化学活化机理有了深入的了解。我们讨论了直接和间接电化学甲烷活化策略的发展，以及甲烷向甲醇电催化转化的机遇和挑战。