<p>Efficient removal of trace acetylene from ethylene streams is essential for producing polymer-grade ethylene, yet achieving highly selective semihydrogenation without over-hydrogenation remains a long-standing challenge. A key barrier is the lack of a simple, low-cost catalyst that can activate hydrogen effectively while preventing ethylene from reacting further. Here we show that defect-rich boron nitride, prepared through a straightforward flux reconstruction method, serves as a highly selective and metal-free catalyst for acetylene semihydrogenation. The catalyst contains abundant open boron and nitrogen sites that enable efficient hydrogen activation and rapid release of ethylene, thereby avoiding over-hydrogenation. Experiments combined with isotope labeling and theoretical analysis reveal that these defects lower the energy barrier for hydrogen activation while accelerating product desorption. Our findings demonstrate a scalable strategy for defect engineering in boron nitride and highlight its potential as a robust, sustainable alternative to metal-based catalysts in industrial ethylene purification.</p>

错误:搜索内容不能为空,请输入英文关键词
错误:关键词超出字数限制,请精简
高级检索

Selective semihydrogenation of acetylene in ethylene using defect-rich boron nitride catalyst from flux reconstruction

  • Tao Wang,
  • Kevin M. Siniard,
  • Meijia Li,
  • Felipe Polo-Garzon,
  • Jue Liu,
  • Zengqing Zhuo,
  • Jinghua Guo,
  • Alexander S. Ivanov,
  • Takeshi Kobayashi,
  • Kui Tan,
  • Stella Amagbor,
  • Abdullah Ali Maruf,
  • Jeffry Kelber,
  • Shize Yang,
  • Haohong Song,
  • De-en Jiang,
  • Gerd Duscher,
  • Zhenzhen Yang,
  • Sheng Dai

摘要

Efficient removal of trace acetylene from ethylene streams is essential for producing polymer-grade ethylene, yet achieving highly selective semihydrogenation without over-hydrogenation remains a long-standing challenge. A key barrier is the lack of a simple, low-cost catalyst that can activate hydrogen effectively while preventing ethylene from reacting further. Here we show that defect-rich boron nitride, prepared through a straightforward flux reconstruction method, serves as a highly selective and metal-free catalyst for acetylene semihydrogenation. The catalyst contains abundant open boron and nitrogen sites that enable efficient hydrogen activation and rapid release of ethylene, thereby avoiding over-hydrogenation. Experiments combined with isotope labeling and theoretical analysis reveal that these defects lower the energy barrier for hydrogen activation while accelerating product desorption. Our findings demonstrate a scalable strategy for defect engineering in boron nitride and highlight its potential as a robust, sustainable alternative to metal-based catalysts in industrial ethylene purification.