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Methane was converted into C2 and C3 products under mild conditions using a single stage solid electrolyte reactor, using a proton exchange membrane fuel cell as a SER-FC and Pd/C as an electrocatalyst prepared by the reduction method of sodium borohydride. This electrocatalyst has a cubic pattern of palladium centered on the face and an average size of nanoparticles close to 6.4 nm, according to the literature. Differential mass spectrometry reveals the chemical profile of species obtained from the oxidation of methane with ionic currents (Ii) at m/z = 16, 28, 30, 32, 44, 46 and 60. In many cases, Ii can be assigned to more than one species; therefore, complementary ATR-FTIR experiments were performed. The ATR-FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of C2 and C3 compounds such as ethane, ethanol, acetaldehyde, acetic acid and propane. Considering the low amount of water in the reaction medium, these results may be associated with the use of Pd/C electrocatalysts responsible for the activation of the water molecule. The availability of natural gas currently rivals with oil; however, this hydrocarbon is not as versatile as crude oil. [1] The main component of natural gas is methane, the most stable hydrocarbon, with the very high dissociation energy of CÀ H bond (435 kJ mol À 1). [2] Its tetrahedral structure is difficult to polarize; therefore, it makes this molecule almost inert to mild conditions. [3] Turning this gas into higher value-added products is a great goal. Current approaches to utilization of methane involve mainly high-temperature processes to produce syngas (H 2 + CO), which further can be transformed into methanol or fuels. [2] The ethane is a vital building block in the chemical industry with an expectedly of increasing demand in obtaining C2 or longer compounds. [4] The oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) is a direct and exothermic process and not limited by any thermodynamic constraints. [1a]

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