Oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane: catalytic and mechanistic aspects and future trends

Ethene is a commodity chemical of great importance for manufacturing diverse consumer products, whose synthesis via crude oil steam cracking is one of the most energy-intensive processes in the petrochemical industry. Oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of ethane is an attractive, low energy, alternative route to ethene which could reduce the carbon footprint for its production, however, the commercial implementation of ODH requires catalysts with improved selectivity. This review critically assesses recent developments in catalytic technologies for ethane ODH, and discusses how insight into proposed mechanisms from computational studies, and CO₂ assisted ethane dehydrogenation (CO₂-DHE), provide opportunities for economically viable processes to meet growing demands for ethene while reducing carbon emissions. Future trends and emerging technologies for ethane ODH are also discussed.