Hydrogenation Reactions

Dr. Zehua Li, Dr. Paulina Summa

Hydrogenation reactions play a vital role in the production of fuels, chemicals, and raw materials, and are central to building a more sustainable chemical industry. Our research group focuses on advancing selective hydrogenation processes, with particular attention to acetylene hydrogenation and CO₂ hydrogenation—two key reactions with significant industrial and environmental impact.

Acetylene Hydrogenation: Purification and Precision
Acetylene hydrogenation is a critical step in the purification of ethylene feedstocks used in the production of plastics and other essential chemicals. The challenge lies in achieving high selectivity—converting trace amounts of acetylene without over-hydrogenating valuable ethylene. 

CO₂ Hydrogenation: Turning Waste into Value
CO₂ hydrogenation transforms carbon dioxide—a major greenhouse gas—into valuable products such as methanol, higher alcohols, and hydrocarbons. This reaction serves as a cornerstone of carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technologies and offers a path to store renewable energy in chemical form. By giving a fundamental undestanding to the CO₂ hydrogenation process and applied in it active materials, we aim to reduce environmental impact while optimizing the already well estabilished systems.