# Toward Industrial Electrosynthesis of Ethylene: Energy‐Efficient and Stable Acetylene Semi‐Hydrogenation on a Copper Phosphide/MXene Electrocatalyst

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new electrocatalyst that efficiently and stably converts acetylene to ethylene using renewable electricity, making industrial production more viable.

## Contribution

A novel Cu3P/MXene electrocatalyst is developed for stable and energy-efficient acetylene semi-hydrogenation.

## Key findings

- Ti3C2/Cu3P achieves 23.0% energy efficiency at 0.2 A cm−2, surpassing the threshold for industrial profitability.
- The catalyst maintains high performance for 100 hours with minimal ethylene Faradaic efficiency decay.
- Strong Cu3P-MXene interactions prevent nanoparticle agglomeration and dissolution during long-term use.

## Abstract

Electrocatalytic semi‐hydrogenation of acetylene to ethylene (EHAE) using renewable electricity represents a promising alternative approach for ethylene production. However, its relatively low energy efficiency (EE) and insufficient electrocatalyst stability hinder its industrial applications. The conduct a techno‐economic analysis indicates that the EHAE process becomes profitable when the EE exceeds 22.8% at an industrial current density of 0.2 A cm−2. Herein, we report a novel electrocatalyst featuring firmly immobilized copper phosphide (Cu3P) nanoparticles on MXene nanosheets (Ti3C2/Cu3P) for a stable EHAE process at industrial currents using membrane electrode assembly (MEA) system. Specifically, the Ti3C2/Cu3P electrocatalyst achieves an EE of 23.0% at 0.2 A cm−2, demonstrating its potential for practical application and economic viability. The strong interactions between Cu3P and Ti3C2 MXene prevent the agglomeration and dissolution of Cu3P nanoparticles during long‐term EHAE process. Notably, in a 4 cm2 MEA, Ti3C2/Cu3P catalysts can sustain high performance for 100 h at 1.0 A with an ethylene Faradaic efficiency decay of only 0.051% per hour. Quasi in situ electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and theoretical calculations indicate that Ti3C2/Cu3P facilitates water dissociation and synergistically enhances the adsorption of acetylene and active hydrogen (H*), thereby accelerating the kinetics of EHAE process.

Cu3P nanoparticles anchored on MXene via Ti─O─P bonds exhibit enhanced stability and resist agglomeration during the electrochemical semi‐hydrogenation of C2H2 to C2H4. Ti3C2/Cu3P achieves a record energy efficiency of 23.0% at 0.2 A cm−2 and stable operation in a 4 cm2 MEA for over 100 h at 1.0 A.