Economically viable electrocatalytic ethylene production with high yield and selectivity

ABSTRACT Electrocatalytic semihydrogenation of acetylene provides a clean pathway to the production of ethylene (C2H4), one of the most widely used petrochemical feedstocks. However, its

performance is still well below that of the thermocatalytic route, leaving the practical feasibility of this electrochemical process questionable. Here our techno-economic analysis shows

that this process becomes profitable if the Faraday efficiency exceeds 85% at a current density of 0.2 A cm−2. As a result, we design a Cu nanoparticle catalyst with coordinatively

unsaturated sites to steer the reaction towards these targets. Our electrocatalyst synthesized on gas diffusion layer coated carbon paper enables a high C2H4 yield rate of 70.15 mmol mg−1 

h−1 and a Faraday efficiency of 97.7% at an industrially relevant current density of 0.5 A cm−2. Combined characterizations and calculations reveal that this performance can be attributed to

the favourable combination of a higher energy barrier for the coupling of active hydrogen atoms (H*) and weak absorption of *C2H4. The former suppresses the competitive hydrogen evolution

reaction, whereas the latter avoids overhydrogenation and C–C coupling. Further life cycle assessment evidences the economic feasibility and sustainability of the process. Our work suggests

a way towards rational design and manipulation of nanocatalysts that could find wider and greener catalytic applications. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview

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ACCESS OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS HIGHLY EFFICIENT ETHYLENE PRODUCTION VIA

ELECTROCATALYTIC HYDROGENATION OF ACETYLENE UNDER MILD CONDITIONS Article Open access 06 December 2021 ROOM-TEMPERATURE ELECTROCHEMICAL ACETYLENE REDUCTION TO ETHYLENE WITH HIGH CONVERSION

AND SELECTIVITY Article 01 July 2021 SELECTIVE PRODUCTION OF ETHYLENE GLYCOL AT HIGH RATE VIA CASCADE CATALYSIS Article 26 June 2023 DATA AVAILABILITY The spreadsheets used for the cost

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Download references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We acknowledge the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 21871206 to B.Z.) and L. Zheng at the 1W1B beamline of the Beijing Synchrotron

Radiation Facility for supporting this project. We also thank Y. Liu for help with the ATR–FTIR measurements. AUTHOR INFORMATION Author notes * These authors contributed equally: Bo-Hang

Zhao, Fanpeng Chen, Mengke Wang. AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Department of Chemistry, Institute of Molecular Plus, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China Bo-Hang Zhao, Fanpeng

Chen, Mengke Wang, Yongmeng Wu, Cuibo Liu, Yifu Yu & Bin Zhang * Institute of New Energy Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China

Chuanqi Cheng * Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, China Yifu

Yu & Bin Zhang Authors * Bo-Hang Zhao View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Fanpeng Chen View author publications You can also search for

this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Mengke Wang View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Chuanqi Cheng View author publications You can also

search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Yongmeng Wu View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Cuibo Liu View author publications You can

also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Yifu Yu View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Bin Zhang View author publications You

can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CONTRIBUTIONS B.Z. conceived the idea and directed the project. B.-H.Z. and B.Z. designed the experiments. B.-H.Z. and M.W. performed

the materials synthesis and electrochemical experiments. B.-H.Z., F.C. and M.W. carried out the in situ experiments. C.C. performed and analysed the DFT calculations. B.-H.Z., Y.W., C.L.,

Y.Y. and B.Z. analysed the experimental data. B.-H.Z. and F.C. wrote the paper. B.Z. revised the paper. All authors discussed the results and commented on the paper. CORRESPONDING AUTHOR

Correspondence to Bin Zhang. ETHICS DECLARATIONS COMPETING INTERESTS The authors declare no competing interests. PEER REVIEW PEER REVIEW INFORMATION _Nature Sustainability_ thanks Feng Jiao,

Christian Durante and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PUBLISHER’S NOTE Springer Nature remains neutral with

regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary Figs. 1–41, Notes 1–30 and Tables 1–7.

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CITE THIS ARTICLE Zhao, BH., Chen, F., Wang, M. _et al._ Economically viable electrocatalytic ethylene production with high yield and selectivity. _Nat Sustain_ 6, 827–837 (2023).

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