C2H4 synthesis through catalytic C2H2 hydrogenation in post-CH4 plasma streams: performance of noble and non-noble catalysts

C2H4 synthesis through catalytic C2H2 hydrogenation in post-CH4 plasma streams: performance of noble and non-noble catalysts | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article C 2 H 4 synthesis through catalytic C 2 H 2 hydrogenation in post-CH 4 plasma streams: performance of noble and non-noble catalysts Eduardo Morais, Qian Chen, Rui Liu, Yanhui Yi, Annemie Bogaerts This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6778138/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 10 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This work investigates the post-plasma catalytic hydrogenation of C 2 H 2 into C 2 H 4 from CH 4 , H 2 , and C 2 H 2 mixtures designed to emulate effluents from plasma reactors used for non-oxidative CH 4 coupling. Four noble and non-noble metal catalysts supported on γ-Al 2 O 3 were tested across a controlled temperature range, representative of plasma reactor outflows. Supported by a temperature-dependent surface micro-kinetic model, our study elucidates the interplay between plasma-derived gas compositions and catalyst surface chemistry, revealing how temperature influences the reaction mechanisms, selectivity and by-product formation in the post-plasma zone. The Pd catalyst exhibits the highest C 2 H 4 selectivity (up to 63%), while Pt favours over-hydrogenation to C 2 H 6 . Non-noble Cu and Ni catalysts show limited C 2 H 4 selectivity due to oligomerisation and coking, respectively. This work highlights clear differences in the performance of the four catalysts in selective post-plasma hydrogenation, offering insights into plasma-based valorisation of CH 4 towards C 2 H 4 . Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files FinalSIC2H2toC2H4viaCatHydrogenation.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 17 Jul, 2025 Reviews received at journal 07 Jul, 2025 Reviews received at journal 27 Jun, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 12 Jun, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 11 Jun, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 11 Jun, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 11 Jun, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 30 May, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 30 May, 2025 First submitted to journal 29 May, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6778138","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":470157312,"identity":"6afb4200-0625-465b-a71e-487ff113ad03","order_by":0,"name":"Eduardo 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Four noble and non-noble metal catalysts supported on γ-Al\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e were tested across a controlled temperature range, representative of plasma reactor outflows. Supported by a temperature-dependent surface micro-kinetic model, our study elucidates the interplay between plasma-derived gas compositions and catalyst surface chemistry, revealing how temperature influences the reaction mechanisms, selectivity and by-product formation in the post-plasma zone. The Pd catalyst exhibits the highest C\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eH\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e selectivity (up to 63%), while Pt favours over-hydrogenation to C\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eH\u003csub\u003e6\u003c/sub\u003e. Non-noble Cu and Ni catalysts show limited C\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eH\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e selectivity due to oligomerisation and coking, respectively. 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