Advances in metal-free carbon catalysts for acetylene hydrochlorination: From heteroatom doping to intrinsic defects over the past decade

Abstract

The development of metal-free carbon catalysts has garnered significant attention as a promising approach to address the challenges of sustainable catalysis, particularly in the replacement of toxic and environmentally hazardous mercury-based systems for the coal-based PVC industry. Within a decade of development, the catalytic performance of carbon catalysts has been improved greatly and even shows superiorities over metal catalysts in some cases, which have demonstrated great potential as sustainable alternatives to mercury catalysts. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the recent advancements in carbon catalysts for acetylene hydrochlorination. It encompasses a wide range of aspects, including the identification of active sites from heteroatom doping to intrinsic carbon defects, the various synthetic strategies employed, the reaction and deactivation mechanisms of carbon catalysts, and the current insights into the key challenges that are encountered on the journey from laboratory research to scalable commercialization within the field of carbon catalysts. The review offers foundational insights and practical guidelines for designing green carbon catalysts systems, not only for acetylene hydrochlorination but also for other heterogeneous catalytic reactions.