Thermal radiative catalysis: Selective dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene by vibrationally excited carbon dioxide

The interaction between thermal radiation and reactant molecules in a conventional thermal catalytic reactor has been overlooked as an energy source. The electromagnetic thermal radiation from the heating modules can excite infrared vibrational modes of reactant molecules, facilitating inelastic collisions that selectively enhance reaction pathways. Herein, carbon dioxide enables thermal radiative catalytic ethane dehydrogenation and is found to boost the production of ethylene by 120% with a selectivity of about 100%.