Construction of activated carbon-supported B3N3 doped carbon as metal-free catalyst for dehydrochlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane to produce vinyl chloride

Dehydrochlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCE) is an important oil-based way for the industrial production of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), but has proved to be plagued by a high operating temperature and low efficiency. Therefore, environmentally friendly and metal-free catalysts are in high demand for green chemical processes. In view of the stronger electronegativity of borazine (B3N3) and convenience of constructing a two-dimensional structure because of the coplanarity of B3N3, the acetenyl group, and the benzene ring, herein, we report a novel controllable B3N3 doped activated carbon (B,N-ACs) synthesized using B3N3-containing arylacetylene resin for dehydrochlorination of 1,2-DCE. The result is activated carbon loaded with B3N3-doped carbon nanosheets on the surface due to the B3N3-containing arylacetylene resin grown on the surface of activated carbons. The B,N-ACs deliver excellent catalytic performance, with a 1,2-DCE conversion of ∼92.0% and VCM selectivity over 99.9% at 250 °C, significantly higher than that of the current catalysts in the industry. The results further verified that pyridinic-N and the internal B3N3 play significant roles in this catalysis. The new green, metal-free B,N-ACs with excellent catalytic efficiency make it a promising catalyst for dehydrochlorination of 1,2-DCE to produce VCM.