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“Ethane is one of the main by-products in the extraction of natural gas and shale gas; due to its low economic value and difficulties in transportation, it is hard to utilize as a resource. This photocatalytic technology can directly utilize solar energy to convert these ethanes into ethylene, making it cost-effective. ”Recently, Associate Researcher Shi Run from the Institute of Physical and Chemical Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, briefed the author on the prospects of this technology. This mechanism is the latest achievement of Shi Run and his research team; it represents a method for producing low-carbon olefins under mild conditions, by using solar photocatalysis to drive the dehydration of ethane to produce ethylene. The related paper was published in Nature Communications. Starting from a high temperature of 500°C, ethylene is an important and fundamental chemical raw material. Currently, the most common method for producing ethylene is petroleum steam cracking. However, given China’s limited oil resources, as well as the high energy consumption and significant carbon emissions associated with this process, such a method is not suitable for meeting the requirements of low-carbon development. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an efficient and environmentally friendly way to produce ethylene. The main components of shale gas are low-carbon hydrocarbons such as methane and ethane. Currently, the proven reserves worldwide exceed 1,000 trillion cubic meters, indicating abundant resources. Catalytic dehydrogenation of ethane in shale gas to produce ethylene is currently a low-cost, green alternative to petroleum-based methods. The process of catalytic dehydrogenation of ethane to produce ethylene is mainly divided into direct dehydrogenation of ethane and oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane. The direct ethane dehydrogenation process is more common, but it requires operation at high temperatures of 750°C. Although it results in lower energy consumption and carbon emissions compared to traditional petroleum cracking processes, the extent of carbon reduction is limited. The ethane oxidative dehydrogenation process involves introducing an oxidant into the ethane dehydrogenation reaction system to convert ethane into ethylene. This approach not only overcomes the thermodynamic equilibrium limitations of direct ethane dehydrogenation and reduces issues such as catalyst deactivation, but it also offers advantages in terms of equipment investment and operating costs. However, the reaction temperature remains above 500°C, resulting in harsh reaction conditions; therefore, finding ways to reduce this temperature has become the focus of the research team’s efforts. Pioneering photocatalytic conversion of ethane to ethylene – Those who dare to face difficulties will succeed. After countless trials and failures, the research team developed a new photocatalytic mechanism and technology for the oxidation-dehydrogenation of ethane to produce ethylene. “Photocatalytic research is quite common, but its application to the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to produce ethylene is less frequent. ”Shi Run explained. The research team pursued bold innovation and conducted repeated screenings of materials, ultimately developing a zinc oxide (ZnO) nanophotocatalyst loaded with a palladium-zinc (PdZn) intermetallic compound. Among them, PdZn is a transition metal, and ZnO is an oxide semiconductor used to \"absorb\" light. Using this photocatalyst, they achieved the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene under photocatalytic conditions for the first time. The test results show that at a reaction temperature of 140°C, the ethylene production rate in this reaction reaches 46.4 mmol/g·h, with an ethylene selectivity of 92.6% – figures that are superior to those obtained through the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to produce ethylene under current hot-catalysis conditions at 600°C, where the one-pass conversion rate of ethane is 13.1% at a gas flow rate of 30 ml/d. Meanwhile, this catalyst exhibits excellent photocatalytic oxidation-dehydrogenation performance for propane and butane, achieving an ethane conversion rate of 20% and an ethylene selectivity of 87% in a reaction atmosphere simulating shale gas. This study establishes a completely new route for the production of low-carbon olefins under mild conditions. With this mechanism, it is also possible to achieve small-scale and low-cost development of oil and gas that are difficult to extract and not suitable for large-scale extraction. “This technology holds promise as a supplementary method for the thermal catalytic production of ethylene; it combines dispersed hydrocarbons with solar energy to convert solar energy directly into chemical energy, thereby reducing electricity costs and enabling the low-cost production of ethylene. ”Shi Run said. Approach research with a rigorous attitude. Everything is difficult at the beginning. At the beginning of the research on this reaction mechanism, since the research team did not have any systematic literature on the photocatalytic oxidation dehydrogenation of ethane to refer to, they had to figure things out on their own, starting from scratch, by making bold hypotheses and conducting repeated verifications. “We had no choice but to keep thinking about ways to study the differences between photocatalysis and thermocatalysis through various characterization methods, and ultimately discovered a light-induced lattice oxygen activation–replenishment cycle mechanism based on ZnO semiconductor materials. ”Shi Run said, “This mechanism is key to achieving the low-temperature activation conversion of ethane.” ” In fact, at the beginning of the research, the research team followed the approach outlined in previous studies on the direct anaerobic dehydrogenation of ethane; they believed that this mechanism also fell under the category of direct anaerobic dehydrogenation of ethane. But in fact, due to the insufficient airtightness of the reaction apparatus, a very small amount of oxygen penetrated in, and what actually occurred was an oxidation dehydrogenation reaction of ethane. Fortunately, the research team did not rely blindly on existing research foundations; they approached the issue in a practical manner and conducted thorough analyses, ultimately determining that the reaction was ethane oxidation dehydrogenation, thus ensuring the rigor of the scientific research. Where the will leads, nothing is too far to reach. “Next, following this technical approach, we will conduct further research on catalyst materials, in the hope of finding materials that are cheaper and more efficient. We will also explore the reaction mechanism for the conversion of methane to ethylene under photocatalytic conditions. ”Shi Run said, “I hope that fundamental research can truly be used to meet **needs, so that the results obtained in laboratories can be put into practice and benefit the country and its people.” ”