Room-temperature electrochemical acetylene reduction to ethylene with high conversion and selectivity

作者：Shi, Run; Wang, Zeping; Zhao, Yunxuan; Waterhouse, Geoffrey I. N.; Li, Zhenhua; Zhang, Bikun; Sun, Zhimei; Xia, Chuan; Wang, Haotian^*; Zhang, Tierui^*

来源：Nature Catalysis, 2021, 4(7): 565-574.

DOI：10.1038/s41929-021-00640-y

• LAYERED DOUBLE HYDROXIDE
• EFFICIENT REMOVAL
• HYDROGENATION
• PALLADIUM
• CATALYSTS
• OXIDATION
• PD
• SEMIHYDROGENATION
• ELECTROREDUCTION
• PERFORMANCE

The selective hydrogenation of acetylene to ethylene in ethylene-rich gas streams is an important process in the manufacture of polyethylene. Conventional thermal hydrogenation routes require temperatures above 100 degrees C and excess hydrogen to achieve a satisfactory C2H2 conversion efficiency. Here, we report a room-temperature electrochemical acetylene reduction system based on a layered double hydroxide (LDH)-derived copper catalyst that offers an ethylene Faradaic efficiency of up to similar to 80% and inhibits alkane and hydrogen formation. The system affords an acetylene conversion of over 99.9% at a flow rate of 50 ml min(-1) in a simulated gas feed, yielding high-purity ethylene with an ethylene/acetylene volume ratio exceeding 10(5) and negligible residual hydrogen (0.08 vol.%). These acetylene conversion metrics are superior to most other state-of-the-art strategies. The findings therefore conclusively demonstrate an electrochemical strategy as a viable alternative to current technologies for acetylene-to-ethylene conversions with potential advantages in energy and atom economies.

• 单位
  北京航空航天大学; 中国科学院研究生院