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Electrocatalytic Acetylene Semihydrogenation: Catalyst Design, Microenvironment Regulation, and Reactor Engineering

Shangqi Zhou¹, Zhenpeng Liu², Konstantin S Rodygin³

¹State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, P. R. China.

|April 22, 2026

Summary

Electrocatalytic acetylene semihydrogenation (EAH) offers a sustainable route to ethylene production using water. Advances in copper catalysts and reactor design enable high efficiency for industrial applications.

Area of Science:

Electrochemistry
Catalysis
Materials Science

Background:

Conventional thermocatalytic hydrogenation of acetylene is energy-intensive.
Electrocatalytic acetylene semihydrogenation (EAH) presents a greener alternative using water as a proton source.
Ethylene (C2H4) is a crucial chemical feedstock produced via acetylene hydrogenation.

Purpose of the Study:

To review recent advances in electrocatalytic acetylene semihydrogenation (EAH).
To discuss catalyst design, microenvironment regulation, and reactor engineering for EAH.
To provide an outlook on challenges and future directions for industrial EAH implementation.

Main Methods:

Focus on Cu-based catalysts for EAH.
Analysis of interfacial engineering in three-phase reactors.
Review of strategies for regulating acetylene/ethylene adsorption and competing reactions.

Main Results:

EAH achieves high Faradaic efficiencies (>90%) and ampere-level partial current densities.
Stable polymer-grade ethylene output is demonstrated.
Effective microenvironment regulation (interfacial water, electric fields, mass transport) is key.

Conclusions:

EAH is a promising sustainable technology for ethylene production.
Further research in catalyst design and reactor engineering is needed for industrialization.
Optimizing catalyst selectivity and reactor performance are critical future steps.

Keywords:

acetylene catalyst design electrocatalysis microenvironment reactor semihydrogenation

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