Plasmonic Ni-doped W18O49 with dual active sites drives efficient methanol dehydration to dimethyl ether

Dehua Tian, Yinlan Liang, Zhaoke Zheng (), Liang Mao, Xiaoyan Cai, Yizhen Chen, Xiangxian Wang, Xiaolei Liu (), Juan Li, Zeyan Wang, Can Xue, Baojun Li and Zaizhu Lou ()
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Dehua Tian: Jinan University
Yinlan Liang: Jinan University
Zhaoke Zheng: Shandong University
Liang Mao: China University of Mining and Technology
Xiaoyan Cai: China University of Mining and Technology
Yizhen Chen: Lanzhou University of Technology
Xiangxian Wang: Lanzhou University of Technology
Xiaolei Liu: Jinan University
Juan Li: Jinan University
Zeyan Wang: Shandong University
Can Xue: Nanyang Technological University
Baojun Li: Jinan University
Zaizhu Lou: Jinan University

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Photocatalytic methanol dehydration to dimethyl ether (DME) offers a sustainable alternative to energy-intensive thermocatalysis, yet its practical application remains constrained by low efficiency. Herein, we designed Ni-doped plasmonic W18O49 nanowires that synergistically integrates low-coordinated W and Ni dual active sites with surface plasmon resonance for enhanced photocatalytic performance. The synergistic effect of W and Ni dual sites is amplified by plasmonic electron oscillations to facilitate the C-O bond cleavage and C-O-C coupling, driving efficient methanol-to-DME conversion. The optimized Ni0.66-W18O49 achieves a DME yield of 133.7 ± 3.3 mmol g-1 h-1 with 98.7% selectivity under 400 mW cm-2 illumination. The versatility of the catalyst is demonstrated through C2+ alcohol dehydration, achieving 40-80% rate enhancements and a recorded isobutylene yield of 3.7 mol g-1 h-1. This study highlights the huge potential of rationally engineered plasmonic semiconductors in solar-driven chemical synthesis, particularly for C-O bond activation and coupling reactions.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-65040-3

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