In the quest for green ethylene production, perovskite oxides show promise as photocatalysts able to strip hydrogen from ethane and generate ethylene with solar energy.Ethylene (C2H4) was discovered nearly 230 years ago, then known as ‘olefiant gas’. Now, it is one of the most sought after chemical raw materials, widely used in industries such as food, hospitals and chemical biology. The demand for ethylene is expected to reach 200 million metric tonnes by 2025. Light alkanes, such as ethane (C2H6), are a desirable feedstock for ethylene production by stripping it of its hydrogen atoms — a process known as alkane dehydrogenation.
