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Coal-to-ethylene glycol technology plays a crucial role in addressing the growing demand for ethylene glycol in China while promoting the clean and efficient use of coal resources. One of the key steps in this process is the gas-phase oxidative coupling of carbon monoxide to dimethyl oxalate, which is essential for converting inorganic C1 compounds into organic C2 products. However, current catalysts rely heavily on palladium (Pd), significantly increasing production costs. This has led to an urgent need for more sustainable alternatives that reduce the consumption of precious metals.
Supported by the Ministry of Science's major scientific problem-oriented project and the "973" program, Professor Guo Guocong's team from the State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry at the Institute of Physical Structure Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, made a groundbreaking discovery. They identified that the exposed (111) plane of Pd nanocrystals acts as the preferred active site for the gas-phase oxidative coupling of CO to dimethyl oxalate (ACS Catal. 2013, 3, 118–122). Building upon this finding, the team developed a novel Pd nanocatalyst using a Cu(II)-assisted in-situ reduction method at room temperature. This approach resulted in a catalyst with ultra-low noble metal loading (around 0.1%), high catalytic performance, and extended stability.
This innovation not only lowers the cost of the catalyst but also helps conserve precious metal resources. The team further explored the role of Cu(II) ions in the synthesis process and proposed a detailed mechanism for nanoparticle growth. Their findings were highlighted as a cover article in the UK's Royal Chemical Society journal, *Chemical Communications* (Chem. Commun. 2013, 49, 5718–5720).
The results of this study represent a significant step forward in the efficient utilization and substitution of precious metals. By reducing catalyst costs and minimizing the use of rare resources, this technology holds great promise for becoming the next generation of coal-based ethylene glycol catalyst systems. It marks a critical advancement in the field of sustainable chemical processing and offers a practical solution to long-standing challenges in industrial catalysis.
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