Ceria in hydrogenation catalysis: high selectivity in the conversion of alkynes to olefins

Abstract

Active and selective: Ceria shows a high activity and selectivity in the gas-phase hydrogenation of alkynes to olefins. This unprecedented behavior has direct impact on the purification of olefin streams and, more importantly, it opens new perspectives for exploring this fascinating oxide as a catalyst for the selective hydrogenation of other functional groups.