MOF-assisted Synthesis of Dual-atom Palladium Catalysts for Acetylene Semi-hydrogenation

The selective removal of trace acetylene in ethylene feed gas is of great significance in the petrochemicalindustry;however, there are still challenges in designing and developing high-performance catalysts. Here, a MOFassistedencapsulation strategy was adopted for the precise synthesis of diatomic Pd2 sites on a ZnO support. When usedfor the acetylene semi-hydrogenation reaction, the dual-atom Pd2-ZnO catalyst exhibited improved catalytic performance,achieving complete conversion of acetylene at 125 °C with an 89% selectivity to ethene, as compared to Pd single-atom andnanoparticles. This enhancement was mainly attributed to the catalyst’s ability to dissociate H2 and facilitate the desorptionof intermediate C2H4. Moreover, the strong interaction between the support and the diatomic Pd sites was responsible for thecatalyst’s excellent stability during the long-term reaction.

Pd/ZnO catalysts with different origins for high chemoselectivity in acetylene semi-hydrogenation

The heterogeneity of active sites is the main obstacle for selectivity control in heterogeneous catalysis.Single atom catalysts（SACs） with homogeneous isolated active sites are highly desired in chemoselective transformations. In this work, a Pd1/ZnO catalyst with single‐atom dispersion of Pd active sites was achieved by decreasing the Pd loading and reducing the sample at a relatively low temperature. The Pd1/ZnO SAC exhibited excellent catalytic performance in the chemoselective hydrogenation of acetylene with comparable chemoselectivity to that of PdZn intermetallic catalysts and a greatly enhanced utilization of Pd metal. Such unusual behaviors of the Pd1/ZnO SAC in acetylene semi‐hydrogenation were ascribed to the high‐valent single Pd active sites, which could promote electrostatic interactions with acetylene but restrain undesired ethylene hydrogenation via the spatial restrictions of σ‐chemical bonding toward ethylene.

Towards carbon neutrality of calcium carbide-based acetylene production with sustainable biomass resources

Acetylene is produced from the reaction between calcium carbide(CaC_(2))and water,while the production of CaC_(2) generates significant amount of carbon dioxide not only because it is an energy-intensive process but also the raw material for CaC_(2) synthesis is from coal.Here,a comprehensive biomass-to-acetylene process was constructed that integrated several units including biomass pyrolysis,oxygen-thermal CaC_(2) fabrication and calcium looping.For comparison,a coal-to-acetylene process was also established by using coal as feedstock.The carbon efficiency,energy efficiency and environmental impacts of the bio-based calcium carbide acetylene(BCCA)and coal-based calcium carbide acetylene(CCCA)processes were systematically analyzed.Moreover,the environmental impacts were further evaluated by applying thermal integration at system level and energy substitution in CaC_(2) furnace.Even though the BCCA process showed lower carbon efficiency and energy efficiency than that of the CCCA process,life cycle assessment demonstrated the BCCA(1.873 kgCO_(2eq) kg-prod^(-1))a lower carbon footprint process which is 0.366 kgCO_(2eq) kg-prod^(-1) lower compared to the CCCA process.With sustainable energy(biomass power)substitution in CaC_(2) furnace,an even lower GWP value of 1.377 kgCO_(2eq) kg-prod^(-1) can be achieved in BCCA process.This work performed a systematic analysis on integrating biomass into industrial acetylene production,and revealed the positive role of biomass as raw material(carbon)and energy supplier.

Structural and Kinetics Understanding of Support Effects in Pd-Catalyzed Semi-Hydrogenation of Acetylene

In this study,the support effects on the Pd-catalyzed semi-hydrogenation of acetylene have been investigated from the structural and kinetic perspectives.According to the results of kinetic analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction,temperature-programmed hydride decomposition,and in situ X-ray diffraction measurements,using carbon nanotubes as support for Pd nanocatalysts with various sizes instead of a-Al_(2)O_(3) decreases the Pd^(0)3d binding energy and suppresses the formation of undesirable palladium hydride species,thus increasing the ethylene yield.Furthermore,X-ray absorption spectroscopy,high-resolution transmission electron microscopy,and C_(2)H_(4) temperature-programmed desorption studies combined with density-functional theory calculations reveal the existence of a unique Pd local environment,containing subsurface carbon atoms,that produces positive geometric effects on the acetylene conversion reaction.Therefore,tailoring the Pd local environment and electronic properties represents an effective strategy for the fabrication and design of highly active and selective Pd semi-hydrogenation catalysts.

Towards the insights into the deactivation behavior of acetylene hydrogenation catalyst

A series of model catalysts were obtained by treating commercial fresh and spent catalysts unloaded from the factory with different methods, including green oil dipping, extraction and high-temperature regeneration;finally, the deactivation behavior of the commercial catalyst for acetylene hydrogenation were studied. The influence of various possible deactivation factors on the catalytic performance was elucidated via detailed structural characterization, surface composition analysis, and activity evaluation.The results showed that green oil, carbon deposit and sintering of active metal were the main reasons for deactivation, among which green oil and carbon deposit led to rapid deactivation, while the activity could be recovered after regeneration by high-temperature calcination. The sintering of active metal components was attributed to the high-temperature regeneration in hydrothermal conditions, which was slow but irreversible and accounted for permanent deactivation. Thus, optimizing the regeneration is expected to extend the service life of the commercial catalyst.

Evaluation and application of kinetic models for Cu-catalyzed acetylene hydrochlorination

The development of environmentally friendly catalysts has become a top priority for acetylene hydrochlorination.However,difficulties remain in systematic studies on the applicability of kinetic models for the industrialization of Cu-based catalysts.Therefore,a strategy involving reactor modeling,parameter estimation,and model testing is developed to evaluate the predictive ability of kinetic models.In order to search for reliable and widely applicable reaction kinetic models for Cu-based catalysts,a case study is conducted.Multiple possible kinetic models derived from the power law,adsorption mechanism,and reaction path are sifted through collecting and testing activity data from tens of Cu-based catalysts.Different optimum applicable ranges of these kinetic models are presented.According to the comparative analysis on their applications in various industrial scenarios,this research suggests that kinetic models derived from reaction path exhibits the best extrapolation ability and has the greatest potential for application in the scale-up design of reactors.

Isolation of Pd atoms by Cu for semi-hydrogenation of acetylene: Effects of Cu loading

Cu‐alloyed Pd single‐atom catalysts exhibit excellent catalytic performance for the semi‐hydrogenation of acetylene;however,the limit of the Cu/Pd atomic ratio for forming the alloyed Pd single‐atom catalyst is ambiguous.Herein,silica‐supported Cu-Pd bimetallic catalysts with fixed Pd content and varied Cu loadings were synthesized using an incipient wetness co‐impregnation method.The X‐ray absorption spectroscopy results indicated that Pd formed an alloy with Cu after reduction at250°C and that the Pd atoms were completely isolated by Cu for Cu/Pd atomic ratios≥40/1.Notably,increasing the reduction temperature from250to400°C hardly affected the catalytic performances of the Cu-Pd/SiO2catalysts.This finding can be attributed to the similar chemical environments of Pd demonstrated by the X‐ray absorption spectroscopy results.

Electron-deficient Cu site catalyzed acetylene hydrochlorination

Rational design of catalytic sites to activate the C≡C bond is of paramount importance to advance acetylene hydrochlorination. Herein, Cu sites with electron-rich and electron-deficient states were constructed by controlling the impregnation solutions. The π electrons flowing from acetylene to Cu site are facilitated over the electron-deficient Cu sites, achieving high activation of C≡C bond. The contradiction between the increased activation of acetylene required for enhanced catalytic activity and the resistance of Cu site to reduction by acetylene required for maintaining catalytic stability can be balanced by establishing strong interactions of Cu site with pyrrolic-N species. The catalytic activity displays a volcano shape scaling relationship as a function of Cu particle size. Tribasic copper chloride is concomitantly generated with the construction of electron-deficient Cu sites. The H–Cl bond of HCl can be activated over the tribasic copper chloride, accelerating the surface reaction of vinyl chloride production. This strategy of inducing electron deficiency provides new insight into the rational design of catalysts for the synthesis of vinyl chloride with a high catalytic performance.

Regulating the coordination environment of Ru single-atom catalysts and unravelling the reaction path of acetylene hydrochlorination

In this work,DFT calculations were used firstly to simulate the nitrogen coordinated metal single-atom catalysts(M-N_(x)SACs,M=Hg,Cu,Au,and Ru) to predict their catalytic activities in acetylene hydrochlorination.The DFT results showed that Ru-N_(x)SACs had the best catalytic performance among the four catalysts,and Ru-N_(x)SACs could effectively inhibit the reduction of ruthenium cation.To verify the DFT results,Ru-N_(x)SACs were fabricated by pyrolyzing MOFs in-situ spatially confined metal precursors.The N coordination environment could be controlled by changing the pyrolysis temperature.Catalytic performance tests indicated that low N coordination number(Ru-N_(2),Ru-N_(3))exhibited excellent catalytic activity and stability compared to RuCl_(3)catalyst.DFT calculations further revealed that Ru-N_(2)and Ru-N_(3)had a tendency to activate HCl at the first step of reaction,whereas Ru-N4tended to activate C_(2)H_(2).These findings will serve as a reference for the design and control of metal active sites.

Nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped activated carbon induces high density Cu^(+)active center for acetylene hydrochlorination

This work aims to solve the problems of low reaction activity of Cu-based catalysts and agglomeration of active centers in acetylene hydrochlorination.Cu-based catalysts supported by NAP co-doped activated carbon(AC)with different content(mCu-xNP/AC)were manufactured and applied in the acetylene hydrochlorination reaction.It was found that the doping of carriers N and P induced the transformation of Cu^(2+)to Cu^(+),and the catalytic activity was markedly improved.Under the optimal reaction temperature of 220℃,the gas hourly space velocity(GHSV)of C_(2)H_(2)was 90 h^(-1)and V_(HCl):V_(C_(2)H_(2))was 1.15.The initial activity of the 5%Cu-30 NP/AC catalyst reached 95.59%.Through some characterization methods showed the addition of N and P improved the dispersion of Cu in carbon,which increased the ratio of Cu^+/Cu^(2+).The measurement results confirmed that the chemisorption capacity of mCu-xNP/AC for C_(2)H_(2)decreased slightly,and the chemisorption capacity for HCl increased significantly,which was the reason for the increased activity of the catalyst.The conclusion provides a reference for the development of acetylene hydrochlorination Cu catalyst.

Effect of gas flow on the nanoparticles transport in dusty acetylene plasmas

This article presents simulation results on the effects of neutral gas flow for nanoparticle transport in atmospheric-pressure,radio-frequency,capacitively-coupled,and acetylene discharge.The acetylene gas is set to flow into the chamber from the upper showerhead electrode.The internal energy of the gas medium therein is transferred into kinetic energy so the gas advection can be triggered.This is represented by the pressure volume work term of the gas energy converse equation.The gas advection leads to the gas temperature sink at the gas inlet,hence a large gas temperature gradient is formed.The thermophoresis relies on the gas temperature gradient,and causes the profile of nanoparticle density to vary from a double-peak structure to a single-peak one.The gas advection influences the properties of electron density and temperature as well and causes the drift-ambipolar mode profile of electron density asymmetric.In the bulk region,i.e.away from the inlet,the gas advection is more like one isovolumetric compression,which slightly increases the temperature of the gas medium at consuming its kinetic energy.

Direct synthesis of nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbons for acetylene hydrochlorination

Nitrogen‐doped ordered mesoporous carbon （N‐OMC） catalysts were directly synthesized using SBA‐15 as a hard template and sucrose as a carbon source. Urea, which was used as the nitrogen source, was carbonized with sucrose. A 3.6 wt% nitrogen doping of the carbon framework was achieved, with more than 70%of the nitrogen incorporated as quaternary nitrogen species. Only 0.2 wt% nitrogen doping, with only 32.7% quaternary nitrogen incorporation was obtained in an N‐OMC catalyst （N‐OMC‐T） prepared using a two‐step post‐synthesis method. The acetylene hy‐drochlorination activities of N‐OMC catalysts prepared via the one‐step method were higher than that of the N‐OMC‐T catalyst because of the higher nitrogen loadings.

Effect of Calcination Temperature on La-Modified Al2O3 Catalysts for Vapor Phase Hydrofluorination of Acetylene to Vinyl Fluoride

A La-modified Al2O3 catalyst was prepared with deposition-precipitation method. The effect of calcination temperature on the reactivity for vapor phase hydrofluorination of acetylene to vinyl fluoride. The catalysts calcined at different temperatures were characterized using NH3-TPD, pyridine-FTIR, X-ray diffraction, and Raman techniques. It was found that the calcination process could not only change the structure of these catalysts but also modify the amount of surface acidity on the catalysts. The catalyst calcined at 400 ℃ exhibited the highest conversion of acetylene （94.6%） and highest selectivity to vinyl fluoride （83.4%） and lower coke deposition selectivity （0.72%）. The highest activity was related to the largest amount of surface acidity on the catalyst, and the coke deposition was also related to the total amount of surface acidic sites.

PREPARATION OF POLYANILINE/ACETYLENE BLACK COMPOSITE AS HOLE CONDUCTOR IN SOLID-STATE DYE-SENSITIZED SOLAR CELL

A clay-like conductive material comprising polyaniline（PANI）-acetylene black particles is fabricated as a hole conductor for dye sensitized solar cell（DSSC）.The results show that the introduction of acetylene black into the polymer electrolyte improves the photovoltaic behavior of solid-state DSSC,owing to the increase of the hole mobility of PANI electrolyte,the improvement of the wetting quality of the composite electrolyte,and the reinforcement of interface contact between electrode and the electrolyte.Finally,the overall energy conversion efficiency of DSSC with PANI-50%（in weight）acetylene black electrolyte is 48% of that of liquid DSSC.Therefore,the PANI-acetylene black composition is a credible alternative to hole conductor in application of solid DSSC.

Nitrogen doped carbon catalyzing acetylene conversion to vinyl chloride

Commercial production of vinyl chloride from acetylene relies on the use of HgCla as the catalyst, which has caused severe environmental problem and threats to human health because of its toxicity. Therefore, it is vital to explore alternative catalysts without mercury. We report here that N-doped carbon can catalyze directly transformation of acetylene to vinyl chloride. Particularly, N-doped high surface area mesoporous carbon exhibits a rather high activity with the acetylene conversion reaching 77% and vinyl chloride selectivity above 98% at a space velocity of 1.0 mL.min-l.g-1 and 200 ~C. It delivers a stable performa℃nce within a test period of 100h and no obvious deactivation is observed, demonstrating potentials to substitute the notoriously toxic mercuric chloride catalyst.

Stability improvement of the Nieuwland catalyst in the dimerization of acetylene to monovinylacetylene

In the process of dimerization of acetylene to produce monovinylacetylene （MVA）,the loss of active component CuCl in the Nieuwland catalyst due to the formation of a dark red precipitate was investigated.The formula of the precipitate was CuCl·2C2H2·1/5NH 3,and it was presumed to be formed by the combination of NH 3,C2H2 and [Cu]-acetylene π-complex,which was an intermediate in the dimerization reaction.The addition of hydrochloric acid into the catalyst can reduce the formation of precipitate,whereas excessive H＋ is unfavorable to the dimerization reaction of acetylene.To balance between high acetylene conversion and low loss rate of CuCl,the optimum mass percentage of HCl in the added hydrochloric acid was determined.The result showed the optimum mass percentage of HCl decreased from 5.0% to 3.2% when the space velocity of acetylene was from 140 h-1 to 360 h-1.The result in this work also indicated the pH of the Nieuwland catalyst should be kept in the range of 5.80-5.97 during the reaction process,which was good for both catalyst life and acetylene conversion.

Thermodynamical Study on Production of Acetylene from Coal Pyrolysis in Hydrogen Plasma

The chemical thermodynamic equilibrium of acetylene production by coal pyrolysis in hydrogen plasma was studied. The thermodynamic equilibrium is obtained by using the method of free energy. Calculated results show that the hydrogen concentration in the equilibrium system is very important for the acetylene production by coal conversion and the energy consumption for the production of acetylene per-kilogram strongly depends on the hydrogen concentration and the temperature.

Selective hydrogenation of acetylene on SiO_2-supported Ni-Ga alloy and intermetallic compound

Ni/Si O_2 and bimetallic Ni_xGa/SiO_2 catalysts with different Ni/Ga atomic ratios(x = 10～2) were investigated for the selective hydrogenation of acetylene.It was found that Ni_xGa/SiO_2 showed higher selectivity to ethylene than Ni/Si O_2.This is attributed to the formation Ni-Ga alloy and Ni3 Ga intermetallic compound(IMC) where there was a charge transfer from Ga to Ni,which is favorable for reducing the adsorption strength and amount of ethylene on Ni atoms.As a result,the over-hydrogenation,the C–C bond hydrogenolysis and the polymerization were suppressed,and subsequently the selectivity to ethylene was enhanced.With the decrease of Ni/Ga atomic ratio,the activity and stability of the Ni_xGa/SiO_2 catalysts increased first and then decreased,while the ethylene selectivity tended to increase.Ni_5 Ga/SiO_2 exhibited the best performance.Under the conditions of 180 °C,0.1 MPa,and a reactant(1.0 vol% acetylene,5.0 vol% H_2 and 94 vol% N_2) with the space velocity of 36,000 m L h^(-1) g^(-1),the acetylene conversion maintained at 100% on Ni_5 Ga/SiO_2 during 120 h time on stream and the selectivity to ethylene was 75%～81%after reaction for 68 h.It was also found that the formation of Ni-Ga alloy and Ni_3 Ga IMC suppressed the incorporation of carbon to form NiCx,subsequently enhancing the catalyst stability.Additionally,with increasing the Ga content,the catalyst acid amount and strength tended to increase,which promoted the polymerization and carbon deposition and so the catalyst deactivation.

Structural and Infrared Spectroscopic Study on Solvation of Acetylene by Protonated Water Molecules

The effect of solvation on the conformation of acetylene has been studied by adding one water molecule at a time. Quantum chemical calculations of the n＋ （C2H2）（H2O）n （n=1-5） clusters indicate that the H2O molecules prefer to form the OH...Tr interaction rather than the CH...O interaction. This solvation motif is different from that of neutral （C2H2）（H2O）n （n=1-4） clusters, in which the H2O molecules prefer to form the CH...O and OH...C Hbonds. For the H＋（C2H2）（H2O）n cationic clusters, the first solvation shell consists of one ring structure with two OH...Tr H-bonds and three water molecules, which is completed at n=4. Simulated infrared spectra reveal that vibrational frequencies of OH... H-bonded O-H stretching afford a sensitive probe for exploring the solvation of acetylene by protonated water molecules. Infrared spectra of the H＋ （C2H2）（H2O）n （n=1-5） clusters could be readily measured by the infrared photodissociation technique and thus provide useful information for the understanding of solvation processes.

Effect of IB-metal on Ni/SiO2 catalyst for selective hydrogenation of acetylene

The IB metal(Au,Ag and Cu)alloyed Pd single atom catalysts had been proved to be efficient in promoting the selectivity for hydrogenation of acetylene to ethylene.As a base metal in the same group as Pd,the Ni-based catalysts are also active for hydrogenation reactions.Herein,the effects of the IB metals on the Ni/SiO2 catalyst for the selective hydrogenation of acetylene were systematically studied.Different from the Pd/SiO2 catalyst,the monometallic Ni/SiO2 catalyst is not active at low temperatures.The addition of the IB metals to the Ni/SiO2 catalysts can greatly enhance the activity.Besides,the catalytic activity of the AuNix/SiO2 and CuNix/SiO2 catalysts increase with the reduction temperature,while the AgNix/SiO2 catalysts are not sensitive to the pretreatment temperature.The origin of the effect of the different IB metals on the Ni-based catalysts for selective hydrogenation of acetylene is discussed based on the characterizations by XRD,TPR and microcalorimetric measurements.