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Liang J, Song Q, Zhang H, Liu Z, Li Y, Jiang Z, Lou XWD, Lee CS. Oxygen-Activated Boron Nitride for Selective Photocatalytic Coupling of Methanol to Ethylene Glycol. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202318236. [PMID: 38323753 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202318236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
The controllable photocatalytic C-C coupling of methanol to produce ethylene glycol (EG) is a highly desirable but challenging objective for replacing the current energy-intensive thermocatalytic process. Here, we develop a metal-free porous boron nitride catalyst that demonstrates exceptional selectivity in the photocatalytic production of EG from methanol under mild conditions. Comprehensive experiments and calculations are conducted to thoroughly investigate the reaction mechanism, revealing that the OB3 unit in the porous BN plays a critical role in the preferential activation of C-H bond in methanol to form ⋅CH2OH via a concerted proton-electron transfer mechanism. More prominent energy barriers are observed for the further dehydrogenation of the ⋅CH2OH intermediate on the OB3 unit, inhibiting the formation of some other by-products during the catalytic process. Additionally, a small downhill energy barrier for the coupling of ⋅CH2OH in the OB3 unit promotes the selective generation of EG. This study provides valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms and can serve as a guide for the design and optimization of photocatalysts for efficient and selective EG production under mild conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianli Liang
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, 999077, Kowloon, Hong Kong, P. R. China
- Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF), City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, 999077, Kowloon, Hong Kong, P. R. China
| | - Qianqian Song
- College of Physics and Materials Science, Tianjin Normal University, 300387, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Huabin Zhang
- KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), 23955-6900, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Zheyang Liu
- Institute for Energy Research, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, 212013, Zhenjiang, P. R. China
| | - Yang Li
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, 999077, Kowloon, Hong Kong, P. R. China
- Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF), City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, 999077, Kowloon, Hong Kong, P. R. China
| | - Zhifeng Jiang
- Institute for Energy Research, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, 212013, Zhenjiang, P. R. China
| | - Xiong Wen David Lou
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, 999077, Kowloon, Hong Kong, P. R. China
| | - Chun-Sing Lee
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, 999077, Kowloon, Hong Kong, P. R. China
- Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF), City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, 999077, Kowloon, Hong Kong, P. R. China
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