Xinyu Liu, Xianliang Qiao, Zhiqiang Zhou, Chaoyue Zhao, Qingxin Guan,* and Wei Li*, Catalysis Communications, 2020, 147, 106147. doi.org/10.1016/j.catcom.2020.106147 Abstract
An activated carbon (AC) supported hexamethylenetetramine (HMT), with a single tertiary amine N active site, was proposed to be used as a novel metal-free catalyst for acetylene hydrochlorination reaction. The 25% HMT/AC catalyst provided acetylene conversion of ~60% and C2H3Cl selectivity above 99% at 220 °C with a gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 30 h−1. X-ray photoelectron spectra suggested the tertiary amine nitrogen was the only N species in the catalysts. Theoretical calculations and experimental studies showed that HCl is adsorbed by HMT preferentially. The insertion of acetylene into ClH bond of HCl is the key step.
