The Selective Hydrogenation of Acetylene by the Electrochemically Pumped Hydrogen Over Cu in the Presence of Abundant Ethylene

Abstract The active hydrogen, which is generated on the cathode of Cu by the electrochemical pumping through a H 3 PO 4 -membrane, can hydrogenate acetylene to ethylene at 353 K in the presence of abundant ethylene where the production of ethane is minimized. The electrochemically pumped hydrogen on the cathodes of d-metals (Pd, Pt, Rh, and Ir) hydrogenates ethylene preferentially. The results of kinetic studies for the cathode of Cu have suggested that the hydrogenations of ethylene and acetylene occur independently each other. It is suggested that the stronger interaction of Cu with acetylene enables the preferential hydrogenation of acetylene.