Progress of p-block element-regulated catalysts for acetylene hydrochlorination

Catalytic acetylene hydrochlorination has been extensively applied in the production of vinyl chloride, which is the building block of polyvinyl chloride, the third most produced polymer in the world. Achieving high performance with non-mercury catalysts (e.g., Au-based catalysts) has significant industrial relevance. The substitution of mercury-based catalysts with p-block element-regulated catalysts has become a mainstream practice, attracting extensive investigations over the past years. The doping of p-block elements can address the fundamental problems of catalyst deactivation and low atom utilization efficiency, resulting in the formation of stabilized ultrafine metal nanoparticles or even single-atom forms, which shows superior catalytic performance towards acetylene hydrochlorination. Herein, based on the recent advances in theoretical and experimental works, we provide a comprehensive review on the progress of the synthesis, properties, performances and mechanisms of p-block element-regulated catalysts for acetylene hydrochlorination. The synthesis methods and the critical factors for preparing p-block element-regulated catalysts are described to highlight their effects on catalytic performance. The relationships of catalyst structures with catalytic activity and stability are critically discussed to highlight the critical factors for designing catalysts. Theoretical calculations are conducted to compare and uncover the effects of different p-block elements on the properties and performances of graphene-based materials as model catalysts. Finally, the development trend of p-block element-regulated catalysts is discussed to forecast future directions. The insights into the performance enhancement mechanisms and the structure–property relationships can shed some light on the directional synthesis of materials to realize better practical applications for acetylene hydrochlorination.