Homogeneous silver catalyst for propylene electrooxidation to propylene glycol

Bo-Jun Yuan, Si-Min Xu, Xiang Liu, An-Zhen Li, Xi Wang, Qiujin Shi, Ruo-Pu Li, Chunyu Zhang, Xikang Zhao, Jinyu Zheng, Bi-Jie Li () and Haohong Duan ()
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Bo-Jun Yuan: Tsinghua University, Department of Chemistry
Si-Min Xu: Gannan Normal University, Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Pharmaceutical Chemistry
Xiang Liu: Tsinghua University, Department of Chemistry
An-Zhen Li: Tsinghua University, Department of Chemistry
Xi Wang: Tsinghua University, Department of Chemistry
Qiujin Shi: Tsinghua University, Department of Chemistry
Ruo-Pu Li: Tsinghua University, Department of Chemistry
Chunyu Zhang: Tsinghua University, Department of Chemistry
Xikang Zhao: Ltd., Sinopec Research Institute of Petroleum Processing Co.
Jinyu Zheng: Ltd., Sinopec Research Institute of Petroleum Processing Co.
Bi-Jie Li: Tsinghua University, Department of Chemistry
Haohong Duan: Tsinghua University, Department of Chemistry

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: Abstract Electrically-powered synthesis provides a sustainable approach for propylene oxidation to propylene oxide and propylene glycol in aqueous medium using water as the oxygen source, which can substitute conventional energy-intensive process that relies on hazardous oxidants. However, current electrosynthesis is suffering from expensive catalysts, low current density and Faradaic efficiency. Herein, guided by accidental finding of Ag+ showing activity for propylene electrooxidation to propylene glycol and following mechanistic understanding, we report 1,2,3-triazole-chelated Ag catalyst with improved current density (15.8 mA/cm2) and Faradaic efficiency (62.5%), comparable with heterogeneous Pt and Pd catalysts using 30-fold less expensive metal. We experimentally and theoretically demonstrate that triazole coordination modulates the oxidative ability of the in-situ formed Ag-oxo species, suppressing overoxidation and oxygen evolution. Furthermore, by employing a high-pressure electrolyzer, we strengthen propylene mass transfer and attain an enhanced current density of 61.1 mA/cm2 with Faradaic efficiency of 73.4%. By circulating electro-deposition/dissolution of Ag, the catalyst shows reusability in 10 cycles. This work demonstrates the potential of using cost-effective homogeneous catalyst for propylene electrooxidation.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-65253-6

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