Ethylene electrosynthesis from low-concentrated acetylene via concave-surface enriched reactant and improved mass transfer

Fanpeng Chen, Li Li, Chuanqi Cheng, Yifu Yu, Bo-Hang Zhao () and Bin Zhang ()
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Fanpeng Chen: Tianjin University
Li Li: Tianjin University
Chuanqi Cheng: Tianjin University
Yifu Yu: Tianjin University
Bo-Hang Zhao: Tianjin University
Bin Zhang: Tianjin University

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Electrocatalytic semihydrogenation of acetylene (C2H2) provides a facile and petroleum-independent strategy for ethylene (C2H4) production. However, the reliance on the preseparation and concentration of raw coal-derived C2H2 hinders its economic potential. Here, a concave surface is predicted to be beneficial for enriching C2H2 and optimizing its mass transfer kinetics, thus leading to a high partial pressure of C2H2 around active sites for the direct conversion of raw coal-derived C2H2. Then, a porous concave carbon-supported Cu nanoparticle (Cu-PCC) electrode is designed to enrich the C2H2 gas around the Cu sites. As a result, the as-prepared electrode enables a 91.7% C2H4 Faradaic efficiency and a 56.31% C2H2 single-pass conversion under a simulated raw coal-derived C2H2 atmosphere (~15%) at a partial current density of 0.42 A cm−2, greatly outperforming its counterpart without concave surface supports. The strengthened intermolecular π conjugation caused by the increased C2H2 coverage is revealed to result in the delocalization of π electrons in C2H2, consequently promoting C2H2 activation, suppressing hydrogen evolution competition and enhancing C2H4 selectivity.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50335-8

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