Recent advances in the direct dehydrogenation of ethanol to acetaldehyde.

Abstract

Ethanol, as a pivotal renewable platform compound, holds immense promise for efficient conversion into high-value chemicals. Acetaldehyde is an essential industrial intermediate conventionally manufactured via the energy-intensive Wacker process. By contrast, the direct dehydrogenation of ethanol to acetaldehyde has emerged as a highly competitive alternative owing to its high atom economy, co-production of clean hydrogen, and facile separation of gas-liquid products. This review systematically summarizes the recent advances in heterogeneous catalysts for this reaction, with particular emphasis on noble metal catalysts (Au, Ag, Pd and their alloys) and copper catalysts, covering critical aspects of active site identification, reaction mechanisms, structure-activity relationships, and stabilization strategies. Additionally, other emerging catalytic systems are briefly discussed. Finally, key challenges and future research directions are proposed in light of the current research status, aiming to guide the design of industrially viable catalysts.

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