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Green Propylene Electrooxidation: Bridging Catalyst Design, Multi-Energy Coupling, and Reactor Engineering
Xiao-Chen Liu1,2, Xinjie Yu1, Fanlin Liu1
1Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials (Ministry of Education), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|August 6, 2026
Summary
Selective electrooxidation of propylene to propylene oxide (PO) and propylene glycol (PG) offers a green alternative. This review integrates advances in electrocatalysis, addressing selectivity and mechanistic challenges for efficient production.
Area of Science:
- Green chemistry and catalysis
- Electrochemical engineering
- Sustainable chemical synthesis
Background:
- Conventional propylene oxidation methods face challenges like corrosion, byproduct dependency, and safety risks.
- Selective electrooxidation of propylene to valuable oxygenates (PO, PG) presents a sustainable alternative.
- Current limitations include poor selectivity, mass transfer issues, and unclear reaction mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and integrate recent advances in selective electrooxidation of propylene.
- To analyze and compare catalytic performance and reaction mechanisms of different electrocatalytic systems.
- To provide insights and guidelines for designing efficient, selective, and scalable green propylene oxidation systems.
Main Methods:
- Organizing the field based on electrocatalytic approaches: surface-mediated, halogen-mediated, and tandem systems.
- Comparative analysis of catalytic performance and reaction mechanisms across different systems.
- Integration of recent advancements in catalyst development and reaction engineering.
Main Results:
- Progress in direct surface-mediated electrocatalysis, indirect oxidation via halogens, and coupled tandem systems.
- Identification of key challenges in product selectivity, mass transfer, and mechanistic understanding.
- Demonstration of various strategies for improving electrocatalytic efficiency and selectivity.
Conclusions:
- Strategic perspectives are offered to overcome current bottlenecks in propylene electrooxidation.
- Fundamental insights and practical guidelines are provided for developing green propylene oxidation technologies.
- The review highlights the potential of electrocatalysis for sustainable production of propylene oxide and glycol.
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