Selective semihydrogenation of acetylene in ethylene using defect-rich boron nitride catalyst from flux reconstruction

Efficient removal of trace acetylene from ethylene streams is essential for producing polymer-grade ethylene, yet achieving highly selective semihydrogenation without over-hydrogenation remains a long-standing challenge. A key barrier is the lack of a simple, low-cost catalyst that can activate hydrogen effectively while preventing ethylene from reacting further. Here we show that defect-rich boron nitride, prepared through a straightforward flux reconstruction method, serves as a highly selective and metal-free catalyst for acetylene semihydrogenation. The catalyst contains abundant open boron and nitrogen sites that enable efficient hydrogen activation and rapid release of ethylene, thereby avoiding over-hydrogenation. Experiments combined with isotope labeling and theoretical analysis reveal that these defects lower the energy barrier for hydrogen activation while accelerating product desorption. Our findings demonstrate a scalable strategy for defect engineering in boron nitride and highlight its potential as a robust, sustainable alternative to metal-based catalysts in industrial ethylene purification.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nature Communications
Published
2025-11-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-64886-x
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Hydrogen Storage and Materials
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.52

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article

Selective semihydrogenation of acetylene in ethylene using defect-rich boron nitride catalyst from flux reconstruction

Zengqing Zhuo, Kevin M. Siniard, Shize Yang, Jeffry A. Kelber et al.
1 citations
Nature Communications
Hydrogen Storage and Materials
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article

Selective semihydrogenation of acetylene in ethylene using defect-rich boron nitride catalyst from flux reconstruction

Zengqing Zhuo, Kevin M. Siniard, Shize Yang, Jeffry A. Kelber, Zhenzhen Yang, Kui Tan, Felipe Polo‐Garzon, Sheng Dai, De‐en Jiang, Takeshi Kobayashi, Jinghua Guo, Gerd Duscher, Haohong Song, Alexander S. Ivanov, Stella Amagbor, Tao Wang, Jue Liu, Meijia Li, Abdullah Ali Maruf
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Efficient removal of trace acetylene from ethylene streams is essential for producing polymer-grade ethylene, yet achieving highly selective semihydrogenation without over-hydrogenation remains a long-standing challenge. A key barrier is the lack of a simple, low-cost catalyst that can activate hydrogen effectively while preventing ethylene from reacting further. Here we show that defect-rich boron nitride, prepared through a straightforward flux reconstruction method, serves as a highly selective and metal-free catalyst for acetylene semihydrogenation. The catalyst contains abundant open boron and nitrogen sites that enable efficient hydrogen activation and rapid release of ethylene, thereby avoiding over-hydrogenation. Experiments combined with isotope labeling and theoretical analysis reveal that these defects lower the energy barrier for hydrogen activation while accelerating product desorption. Our findings demonstrate a scalable strategy for defect engineering in boron nitride and highlight its potential as a robust, sustainable alternative to metal-based catalysts in industrial ethylene purification.

Nature CommunicationsVol. 16(1)
University of North Texas (US), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (US), Vanderbilt University (US), Knoxville College (US), Ames National Laboratory (US), University of Tennessee at Knoxville (US), Core Laboratories (United States) (US)
U.S. Department of Energy, Iowa State University, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Openalex Percentile: Top 31%
Hydrogen Storage and Materials
0.52
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