TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - CHEMICAL ENGINEERING - Preferred Process: The sintering process is a partial oxidation sintering process, a complete oxidation sintering process, or a complete oxidation-after-reduction sintering process. The partial oxidation sintering process is carried out at 450-550 degrees C for 1.5 - 2.5 h without any flow of air. The complete oxidation process is carried out at 450-550 degrees C for 1.5-2.5 h with an airflow at a speed of 45-55 cc/ min. The complete oxidation-after-reduction sintering process is carried out at 250-350 degrees C for 1.5-2.5 h with an air flow at a speed of 45-55 cc/min, and at 250-550 degrees C for 1.5-2.5 h with a hydrogen flow at a speed of 45-55 cc/min. Photoreaction is carried out at 5-55 degrees C under a vacuum pressure of 5 atm.Preferred Support: TiO2 is an anatase type.Preferred Metal Salt: The metal salt is palladium chloride (PdCl2), H2PtCl5(xH2O), IrCl3(xHCl)(yH2O), RuCl3(xH2O), CdCl2(2)(5H2O), CuCl2(2H2O), or silver nitrate (AgNO3). EXAMPLE - To 6.093 g completely dried TiO2 was added a suspension of 0.256 g platinum chloride in 60 cc water. The resulting suspension was stirred for 24 h at 50 - 60 degrees C while removing water, dried for 24 h at 110 degrees C, and sintered at 500 degrees C for 2 h in an electric furnace with an air flow of 50 sccm. The results showed: 1.440 % methane conversion rate, % composition of 4.0x10 to the power of -3, 3.1x10 to the power of -2, 6.1x10 to the power of -3 for ethylene, ethane, and propane, respectively, and % selectivity of 0.4, 34.4, 5.8 for ethylene, ethane, and propane, respectively. For comparable purposes, activation of methane by completely oxidized cobalt catalyst was also prepared in a similar manner, and showed only trace percentages of methane conversion and no sign of any selectivity. The results clearly suggested that the inventive photocatalyst had the ability to photo-activate methane at efficiencies which had been not yet accomplished by the conventional catalysts.