Room-temperature activation of the C–H bond in the dehydrogenation of ethane over a Cu/TiO2 catalyst.

A novel photocatalytic system of Cu/TiO2 for activation the C–H bond in the dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene at room temperature is proposed. The optimized 1%-Cu/TiO2 catalyst achieved C2H6 conversion of 1.70%, C2H4 selectivity of 98.41%, and exhibited excellent stability. The active site Cuδ+ showed high dispersion on the TiO2 surface. Theoretical calculations and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy revealed a reaction mechanism: C2H6 is first activated by adsorption over the Cu4C/TiO2 catalyst with elongation of the C–H bond, attacked by h+/˙OH to form ethyl radicals, which are then converted to C2H4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]