Recent advances in thermocatalytic acetylene selective hydrogenation
Xiaocheng Lan1, Jingguang G Chen2, Tiefeng Wang1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China. wangtf@tsinghua.edu.cn.
Chemical Society Reviews
|July 15, 2025
Summary
Selective acetylene hydrogenation is key for ethylene purification and production. This review details catalyst design and mechanistic insights to overcome challenges like over-hydrogenation and coke formation for improved ethylene selectivity.
Area of Science:
- Catalysis
- Petroleum Chemistry
- Sustainable Chemistry
Background:
- Selective acetylene hydrogenation is vital for ethylene purification in the petroleum industry.
- It offers a sustainable, non-oil route for ethylene production from natural gas and coal.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive review of recent advancements in catalyst development for selective acetylene hydrogenation.
- To deepen the understanding of reaction mechanisms and structure-performance relationships.
Main Methods:
- Critically discussed benchmarks for conversion and selectivity calculations.
- Categorized active site designs: monometallic, disordered alloy, intermetallic compound (IMC), and single-atom (SA) sites.
- Reviewed Pd-based and non-Pd-based catalysts, focusing on structure-performance relationships.
Main Results:
- Highlighted strategies for active site design to enhance ethylene selectivity and catalytic activity.
- Emphasized the role of different active metals, catalyst supports, and modifiers.
- Summarized state-of-the-art performance metrics for various catalyst types.
Conclusions:
- Identified key challenges in achieving high activity and selectivity due to side reactions.
- Discussed future research directions in mechanistic understanding and catalyst design for innovation.
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