Highly Active AuCu-Based Catalysts for Acetylene Hydrochlorination Prepared Using Organic Aqua Regia

Haihua He; Jia Zhao; Bolin Wang; Yuxue Yue; Gangfeng Sheng; Qingtao Wang; Lu Yu; Zhong-Ting Hu; Xiaonian Li

doi:10.3390/ma12081310

Highly Active AuCu-Based Catalysts for Acetylene Hydrochlorination Prepared Using Organic Aqua Regia

Materials (Basel). 2019 Apr 22;12(8):1310. doi: 10.3390/ma12081310.

Authors

Haihua He^{1

2}, Jia Zhao³, Bolin Wang⁴, Yuxue Yue⁵, Gangfeng Sheng⁶, Qingtao Wang⁷, Lu Yu⁸, Zhong-Ting Hu⁹, Xiaonian Li¹⁰

Affiliations

¹ Industrial Catalysis Institute, Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Chemistry-Synthesis Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China. hehaihua2002@jhc.edu.cn.
² Pharmaceutical and Material Engineering School, Jin Hua Polytechnic, Jinhua 321007, China. hehaihua2002@jhc.edu.cn.
³ Industrial Catalysis Institute, Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Chemistry-Synthesis Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China. jiazhao@zjut.edu.cn.
⁴ Industrial Catalysis Institute, Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Chemistry-Synthesis Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China. wbl501028@outlook.com.
⁵ Industrial Catalysis Institute, Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Chemistry-Synthesis Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China. yueyuxue@outlook.com.
⁶ Industrial Catalysis Institute, Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Chemistry-Synthesis Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China. shenggangfeng12@outlook.com.
⁷ Industrial Catalysis Institute, Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Chemistry-Synthesis Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China. qtwang@zjut.edu.cn.
⁸ Industrial Catalysis Institute, Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Chemistry-Synthesis Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China. yuluuni2014@gmail.com.
⁹ College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China. zthu@zjut.edu.cn.
¹⁰ Industrial Catalysis Institute, Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Chemistry-Synthesis Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China. xnli@zjut.edu.cn.

Abstract

Development of a sustainable process for designing and synthesising an active and stable catalyst for hydrochlorination of acetylene is challenging, yet crucial, for industrial vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) production. Herein, direct synthesis of bimetallic AuCu catalysts using organic aqua regia (OAR) preparation methods was investigated. In comparison with conventional aqua regia (AR), bimetallic AuCu catalysts synthesised from OAR exhibit enhanced activity and stability. After careful characterisation of the catalyst samples using X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD), Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), this observation was justified for the following reasons: 1) the existence of sulphur and nitrogen atoms stabilised the cationic Au active sites, and 2) OAR helped to sustain the function of the Cu promotor by stabilising it. Advanced understanding on the importance of promoter stability has unveiled new perspectives for this research area.

Keywords: AuCu catalyst; acetylene hydrochlorination; organic aqua regia (OAR).

Grants and funding

21606199, 21476207/National Natural Science Foundation of China