Highly Selective Electrodehydrogenation of Ethane to Ethylene via a Proton Ceramic Electrolysis Cell

The direct dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene via a Proton Ceramic Electrolysis Cell (PCEC) is a promising technology. The key factor restricting the application of this technology is the anode material. In this work, a series of R-P phase materials, Sr₃Fe_1.7(X_0.5Y_0.5)_0.1Zr_0.2O_7−δ (X,Y = Ni, Cu, Co, SFXYZ), were synthesized as the anodes of the PCEC. Bimetallic alloy nanoparticles, NiCu, NiCo, and CuCo, were in situ exsolved to construct alloy-oxide interfaces, which achieved excellent electrochemical and catalytic performance. At 700 °C and 1.8 V, the PCEC with CuCo-Sr₃Fe_1.7(Cu_0.5Co_0.5)_0.1Zr_0.2O_7−δ as the anode material achieved a current density of 1.978 A cm^–2, the conversion rate of ethane was 55.48%, and the selectivity of ethylene was 93.6%. At the same time, it exhibited excellent structural and electrocatalytical stabilities. The efficient production of ethylene through the PCEC opens new perspectives for the production of other chemicals.