Efficient catalysis of acetylene hydrochlorination via N-doped porous carbon derived from peanut meal using dual activators

The development of high-performance mercury-free catalysts for acetylene hydrochlorination is crucial for the green development of the polyvinyl chloride industry. This study successfully prepared a metal-free catalyst, PMC-1D-500, via a one-step pyrolysis strategy using peanut meal, an agricultural by-product, activated by a ZnCl 2 /MgCO 3 dual-activator system. The synergistic interaction of the dual activators constructed a nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbon framework with a high specific surface area of 628 m 2 g −1 and a high density of pyridinic nitrogen species as the primary active sites. Under near-industrial conditions (240 °C, C 2 H 2 GHSV = 30 h −1 ), the optimized catalyst achieved 97% initial acetylene conversion and maintained 91% conversion over 100 h of continuous operation, with vinyl chloride selectivity consistently exceeding 99.4% and an ultralow deactivation rate of 0.06 %·h −1 . Comprehensive characterization and mechanistic studies revealed that the exceptional stability originates from a synergistic defense mechanism: the abundant pyridinic N and π -conjugated system facilitate efficient reactant adsorption, the robust nitrogen-doped carbon framework ensures the stability of the reaction, while the hierarchical pore network promotes efficient mass transport and rapid product desorption, thereby effectively suppressing coke deposition. This work not only provides a cost-effective and mercury-free catalyst for vinyl chloride production but also establishes a sustainable strategy for converting biomass waste into advanced catalytic materials. • Metal-free N-doped porous carbon derived from peanut meal biowaste. • Synergistic dual activators construct hierarchical pores and pyridinic-N sites. • 97% C 2 H 2 conversion and >99.4% VCM selectivity were achieved over the catalyst. • Hierarchical pores enable efficient mass transport and suppress coking, thereby enhancing stability. • A sustainable and high-performance non-mercury catalyst strategy was provided.