Non-mercury catalytic acetylene hydrochlorination over spherical activated-carbon-supported Au–Co(III)–Cu(II) catalysts

•Ternary Au1Co(III)3Cu1/SAC shows high activity for acetylene hydrochlorination.•A synergic effect of Co(III) and Cu(II) augments the amount of Aun+.•Co(III) inhibits the reduction of Aun+ for its standard electrode potential.•Cu(II) further stabilizes the Au3+ through the way of electron transfer.•The estimated life of the ternary catalyst is greater than 6513 h.

Several Au-based catalysts, including catalysts containing Au, Au–Co(III), Au–Cu(II), and Au–Co(III)–Cu(II), were prepared and assessed for their ability to promote acetylene hydrochlorination. The catalysts were characterized by temperature-programmed reduction, temperature-programmed desorption, low-temperature N2 adsorption/desorption, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The synergistic effects of Co(III) and Cu(II) enhanced the adsorption of hydrogen chloride over the catalysts and increased the amount of the active species Au+ and Au3+ in the ternary Au1Co(III)3Cu(II)1 catalyst supported on spherical activated carbon. The catalyst attained 99.7% acetylene conversion, 99.9% selectivity to vinyl chloride, and an estimated lifetime exceeding 6513 h. These results suggest that the ternary catalyst has potential industrial applications.

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