Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2025

Hydrogen Production and Utilization in a Membrane Reactor
Published on: March 10, 2023
Electrocatalytic hydrogenation of alkynes and alkenes using a proton conductive graphene oxide membrane
Muhammad Sohail Ahmad1,2, Imam Sahroni3,4, Taiga Kodama3
1Institute of Industrial Nanomaterials (IINa), Kumamoto University Kumamoto Japan tetsuya@kumamoto-u.ac.jp.
Abstract:
Graphene-based membranes are emerging as promising materials for energy and chemical conversion due to their exceptional proton conductivity and stability. In this study, we report a graphene oxide (GO) nanosheet membrane for electrochemical hydrogenation reactions. The GO membrane demonstrates excellent proton conductivity, confirmed through concentration cell measurement and complex impedance spectroscopy, and efficiently facilitates proton transport when integrated with active platinum catalysts as the cathode and anode. This system enables selective hydrogenation of alkynes and alkenes into their corresponding alkanes, achieving selectivities of 82% to 93%. This work highlights the potential of graphene-based membrane reactors as cost-effective, scalable, and energy-efficient alternative to traditional hydrogenation methods.
More Related Videos
09:18Simple Methods for the Preparation of Non-noble Metal Bulk-electrodes for Electrocatalytic Applications
Published on: June 21, 2017
06:32A Simple, Low-cost, and Robust System to Measure the Volume of Hydrogen Evolved by Chemical Reactions with Aqueous Solutions
Published on: August 17, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...
Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Like alkenes, alkynes can be reduced to alkanes in the presence of transition metal catalysts such as Pt, Pd, or Ni. The reaction involves two sequential syn additions of hydrogen via a cis-alkene intermediate.
Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Metals like palladium, platinum, and nickel are commonly used in their solid forms — fine powder on an inert surface. As these catalysts remain insoluble in the reaction mixture, they are referred to as heterogeneous catalysts.
The hydrogenation process takes place on the...
Alkynes to Aldehydes and Ketones: Hydroboration-Oxidation
One of the convenient methods for the preparation of aldehydes and ketones is via hydration of alkynes. Hydroboration-oxidation of alkynes is an indirect hydration reaction in which an alkyne is treated with borane followed by oxidation with alkaline peroxide to form an enol that rapidly converts into an aldehyde or a ketone. Terminal alkynes form aldehydes, whereas internal alkynes give ketones as the final product.
Alkynes to Aldehydes and Ketones: Acid-Catalyzed Hydration
Analogous to alkenes, alkynes also undergo acid-catalyzed hydration. While the addition of water to an alkene gives an alcohol, hydration of alkynes produces different products such as aldehydes and ketones.
Hydroboration-Oxidation of Alkenes