Ag2O-modified MnO2 enhanced electrocatalytic propylene epoxidation with water as the sole oxygen source†

Abstract

Propylene oxide, as a pivotal chemical raw material with an annual demand exceeding 20 million tons, faces challenges in traditional production processes such as high energy consumption, large carbon emissions, and severe environmental pollution. Electrocatalytic propylene epoxidation, utilizing renewable electricity instead of chemical oxidants and water as a clean oxygen source, is a green and safe synthesis strategy for propylene oxide. However, it is still necessary to solve the problem of low yield. In this work, we prepared a 0.5Ag₂O/MnO₂ catalyst and obtained a high yield of 13.4 g m⁻² h⁻¹, which displayed a 20-fold improvement compared to MnO₂ (0.6 g m⁻² h⁻¹). This was attributed to the abundant oxygen vacancies and active sites, which would weaken the interaction of Mn–O bonds and promote the activation of propylene.