Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Electrolysis03:00

Electrolysis

31.6K
In a galvanic cell, the electrical work is done by a redox system on its surroundings as electrons produced by the spontaneous redox reactions are transferred through an external circuit. Alternatively, an external circuit does work on a redox system by imposing a voltage sufficient to drive an otherwise nonspontaneous reaction in a process known as electrolysis. For instance, recharging a battery involves the use of an external power source to drive the spontaneous (discharge) cell reaction in...
31.6K
Preparation of Epoxides03:00

Preparation of Epoxides

9.8K
Overview
Epoxides result from alkene oxidation, which can be achieved by a) air, b) peroxy acids, c) hypochlorous acids, and d) halohydrin cyclization.
Epoxidation with Peroxy Acids
Epoxidation of alkenes via oxidation with peroxy acids involves the conversion of a carbon–carbon double bond to an epoxide using the oxidizing agent meta-chloroperoxybenzoic acid, commonly known as MCPBA. Since the O–O bond of peroxy acids is very weak, the addition of electrophilic oxygen of peroxy acids to...
9.8K
Oxidation of Alkenes: Syn Dihydroxylation with Osmium Tetraoxide02:44

Oxidation of Alkenes: Syn Dihydroxylation with Osmium Tetraoxide

13.6K
Alkenes are converted to 1,2-diols or glycols through a process called dihydroxylation. It involves the addition of two hydroxyl groups across the double bond with two different stereochemical approaches, namely anti and syn. Dihydroxylation using osmium tetroxide progresses with syn stereochemistry.
13.6K
E2 Reaction: Kinetics and Mechanism02:45

E2 Reaction: Kinetics and Mechanism

13.5K
SN2 substitutions and E2 eliminations of alkyl halides proceed via a concerted pathway. While the nucleophile attacks the alpha carbon in SN2 reactions, it functions as a strong base and abstracts a beta hydrogen in the E2 mechanism. The rate-limiting transition state in E2 elimination reactions is characterized by partially broken carbon–hydrogen and carbon–halogen bonds and a partially formed pi bond between the alpha and beta carbons. The beta hydrogen and halide are eliminated...
13.5K
Thermal and Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Overview01:26

Thermal and Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Overview

3.2K
Electrocyclic reactions are reversible reactions. They involve an intramolecular cyclization or ring-opening of a conjugated polyene. Shown below are two examples of electrocyclic reactions. In the first reaction, the formation of the cyclic product is favored. In contrast, in the second reaction, ring-opening is favored due to the high ring strain associated with cyclobutene formation.
3.2K
Thermal Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry01:17

Thermal Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry

2.7K
The stereochemistry of electrocyclic reactions is strongly influenced by the orbital symmetry of the polyene HOMO. Under thermal conditions, the reaction proceeds via the ground-state HOMO.
Selection Rules: Thermal Activation
Conjugated systems containing an even number of π-electron pairs undergo a conrotatory ring closure. For example, thermal electrocyclization of (2E,4E)-2,4-hexadiene, a conjugated diene containing two π-electron pairs, gives trans-3,4-dimethylcyclobutene.
2.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Autonomous High-Throughput Characterization of Liquid-Liquid Phase Behavior.

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)·2026
Same author

Efficacy of Acupuncture Treatment in the Treatment of Female Myofascial Pelvic Pain Syndrome: A Protocol for a Dual-Center Randomized Controlled Trial.

Journal of pain research·2026
Same author

Automated synthesis of InSb quantum dots with improved batch-to-batch reproducibility via kinetically matched co-reduction.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Machine-learning-assisted screening of key flavor compounds in pumpkins.

Journal of the science of food and agriculture·2026
Same author

Structure-digestibility modulation of wheat starch in moisture-controlled heat-treated flour and its functional implications in steamed sponge cake.

International journal of biological macromolecules·2026
Same author

Independent and synergistic effects of OGTT-based hyperglycemia phenotypes and gestational weight gain on feto-maternal outcomes in GDM.

BMC pregnancy and childbirth·2026
Same journal

On-Cell Detection of Polysaccharide One-Bond <sup>1</sup>J<sub>CH</sub> Couplings by Proton-Detected Solid-State NMR.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Correction to "Unraveling the Effects of Fe Incorporation on High-Performance Water-Splitting Photoanodes".

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Proximity-Driven Protein Ligation Beyond the Concentration Limit.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

GraPhAI: Neural Networks for Solving Centrosymmetric Crystal Structures.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Probing Stage Transition Kinetics in Li-Graphite Intercalation Compounds by Time-Resolved In Situ Solid-State NMR via <sup>13</sup>C Labeling.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Dynamic Covalent Programming at DNA Base-Pairing Interfaces.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 3, 2026

Solar-Driven Electrochemical Green Fuel Production from CO2 and Water Using Ti3C2Tx MXene-Supported CuZn and NiCo Catalysts
10:15

Solar-Driven Electrochemical Green Fuel Production from CO2 and Water Using Ti3C2Tx MXene-Supported CuZn and NiCo Catalysts

Published on: November 7, 2025

1.4K

A High-Purity Ethylene Epoxide Stream Produced Using a Supported Electrocatalyst.

Jianan Erick Huang1,2,3, Chengqian Wu4, Yiqing Chen2,3

  • 1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, 35 St George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A4, Canada.

Journal of the American Chemical Society
|April 1, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

A new silver-zirconium dioxide catalyst enables efficient direct electro-epoxidation of ethylene to ethylene oxide (EO), overcoming previous limitations and achieving high yields for this key chemical building block.

More Related Videos

Translating Extracellular Electron Transfer Activities with Organic Electrochemical Transistors
10:44

Translating Extracellular Electron Transfer Activities with Organic Electrochemical Transistors

Published on: January 31, 2025

1.5K
Protocol of Electrochemical Test and Characterization of Aprotic Li-O2 Battery
08:18

Protocol of Electrochemical Test and Characterization of Aprotic Li-O2 Battery

Published on: July 12, 2016

12.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 3, 2026

Solar-Driven Electrochemical Green Fuel Production from CO2 and Water Using Ti3C2Tx MXene-Supported CuZn and NiCo Catalysts
10:15

Solar-Driven Electrochemical Green Fuel Production from CO2 and Water Using Ti3C2Tx MXene-Supported CuZn and NiCo Catalysts

Published on: November 7, 2025

1.4K
Translating Extracellular Electron Transfer Activities with Organic Electrochemical Transistors
10:44

Translating Extracellular Electron Transfer Activities with Organic Electrochemical Transistors

Published on: January 31, 2025

1.5K
Protocol of Electrochemical Test and Characterization of Aprotic Li-O2 Battery
08:18

Protocol of Electrochemical Test and Characterization of Aprotic Li-O2 Battery

Published on: July 12, 2016

12.1K

Area of Science:

  • Electrochemistry
  • Materials Science
  • Chemical Engineering

Background:

  • Ethylene oxide (EO) is a crucial chemical intermediate for plastics, with annual demand exceeding 30 million tons.
  • Current electrosynthesis methods for EO are often indirect, leading to byproducts and high separation costs.
  • Direct electro-epoxidation is hindered by competing oxygen evolution reactions (OER) and catalyst instability.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a direct electro-epoxidation process for ethylene to ethylene oxide with high efficiency and stability.
  • To overcome the limitations of traditional redox-mediated approaches and direct electro-epoxidation.

Main Methods:

  • Investigated metal-support interactions to stabilize silver (Ag) catalysts.
  • Synthesized a silver-zirconium dioxide (Ag-ZrO2) catalyst using a MOF template.
  • Employed a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with a hydrophilic PTFE separator for electrolysis.

Main Results:

  • Achieved 50% Faradaic efficiency (FE) for ethylene oxide at 50 mA/cm² current density.
  • Demonstrated a high productivity of 460 μmol cm⁻² h⁻¹.
  • Enabled a concentrated EO outlet stream (48 wt%) with minimized side reactions and system resistance.

Conclusions:

  • The Ag-ZrO2 catalyst, supported by MEA-PTFE technology, offers a promising route for efficient direct electro-epoxidation of ethylene.
  • This approach overcomes catalyst instability and selectivity issues associated with previous methods.
  • The developed system provides a more sustainable and cost-effective pathway for ethylene oxide production.