Selective semihydrogenation of acetylene in ethylene using defect-rich boron nitride catalyst from flux reconstruction
- Tao Wang
- Kevin M. Siniard
- Meijia Li
- Felipe Polo-Garzon
- Jue Liu
- Zengqing Zhuo
- Jinghua Guo
- Alexander S. Ivanov
- Takeshi Kobayashi
- Kui Tan
- Stella Amagbor
- Abdullah Ali Maruf
- Jeffry Kelber
- Shize Yang
- Haohong Song
- De-en Jiang
- Gerd Duscher
- Zhenzhen Yang
- Sheng Dai
2025-11-12
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.