Catalytic properties of nanocarbon materials in reaction of selective hydrogenation of acetylene

Abstract

The chapter presents the results of studies of the catalytic properties of nanocarbon materials based on carbon nanotubes and reduced graphene oxide in the hydrogenation of ethylene, acetylene and ethylene-acetylene mixture by molecular hydrogen at atmosphere pressure. The current state of scientific approaches to the creation of nanocarbon metal-free catalysts for the hydrogenation reactions in both liquid and gas phases is presented. A possible nature of active center of the hydrogenation reaction located on the surface of the nanocarbon material is discussed. It is shown that the catalytic activity of the nanocarbon materials is not associated with metal impurities. The correlation between the structural characteristics of carbon nanomaterials and their catalytic properties in the hydrogenation reactions of unsaturated hydrocarbons is demonstrated. A comparative analysis of the catalytic activity of nanocarbon materials and catalysts that contain noble metals in the hydrogenation reaction of acetylene is presented. Finally, the fundamental possibility of creating a nanocarbon catalyst for selective hydrogenation of acetylene in excess ethylene is shown.