Effect of the dielectric barrier discharge plasma on Cu-based catalysts supported on SiO2 for acetylene hydration

Enhancing the catalytic performance of acetylene hydration catalysts remains a formidable challenge in current research. SiO₂ was firstly employed as a support to synthesize Cu-based catalysts by dielectric barrier discharge plasma for the acetylene hydration reaction, achieving an impressive conversion of 95.9 % for acetylene and selectivity of 83.6 % for acetaldehyde within 8 h reaction time. The selectivity exhibits a relatively consistent stability within 30 h of reaction time. According to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), plasma treatment promotes the interaction between the active component and the support, which can enhance the anti-reduction properties of active copper components. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and acetylene temperature-programmed desorption (C₂H₂-TPD) reveal that plasma treatment markedly improves the dispersion of Cu species and enhances the acetylene adsorption capacity, thereby leading to an improvement in catalytic performance.