Photothermal transformation of ethane to ethylene oxide via consecutive dehydrogenation and epoxidation reactions

IF 11.5 Q1 CHEMISTRY, PHYSICAL

Chem Catalysis Pub Date : 2025-06-04 DOI:10.1016/j.checat.2025.101417

Lingzhen Zeng, Zeyan Cen, Xingwu Liu, Tiancheng Pu, Haoyi Tang, Maolin Wang, Kaiyu Zhu, Jiarui Li, Meng Wang, Ding Ma

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Abstract

Integrating green and sustainable energy solutions is critical for improving both economic viability and environmental sustainability in chemical transformation. This work demonstrates a tandem process for ethylene oxide production from ethane, coupling ethane dehydrogenation and ethylene epoxidation, using solar irradiation as the sole energy source. The process employs photothermal tandem reactors, with oxygen introduced into the second reactor after dehydrogenation. Reaction temperatures were precisely controlled by modulating light intensity (∼940 K for dehydrogenation and ∼540 K for epoxidation). A NiLa/BN catalyst exhibited exceptional activity (152 mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹) and stability for photocatalytic ethane dehydrogenation under sunlight, while the Ag-based catalyst facilitated the epoxidation reaction. The integrated system achieved 60% ethane conversion and 14% ethylene oxide yield. This study highlights the feasibility of using sunlight as a sustainable energy source for industrial chemical transformations, offering a potential way to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and decrease carbon emissions.

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乙烷通过连续脱氢和环氧化反应光热转化为环氧乙烷

整合绿色和可持续的能源解决方案对于提高化学转化的经济可行性和环境可持续性至关重要。研究了以太阳辐照为唯一能源，乙烷脱氢和乙烯环氧化联产环氧乙烷的串联工艺。该工艺采用光热串联反应器，在脱氢后将氧气引入第二反应器。通过调节光强度来精确控制反应温度（脱氢时为940 K，环氧化时为540 K）。NiLa/BN催化剂在光催化乙烷脱氢反应中表现出良好的活性（152 mmol g−1 h−1）和稳定性，而ag基催化剂则有利于环氧化反应。集成系统实现了60%的乙烷转化率和14%的环氧乙烷收率。这项研究强调了利用阳光作为工业化学转化的可持续能源的可行性，为减少对化石燃料的依赖和减少碳排放提供了一种潜在的方法。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Chem Catalysis

CiteScore

10.50

自引率

6.40%

发文量

期刊介绍： Chem Catalysis is a monthly journal that publishes innovative research on fundamental and applied catalysis, providing a platform for researchers across chemistry, chemical engineering, and related fields. It serves as a premier resource for scientists and engineers in academia and industry, covering heterogeneous, homogeneous, and biocatalysis. Emphasizing transformative methods and technologies, the journal aims to advance understanding, introduce novel catalysts, and connect fundamental insights to real-world applications for societal benefit.