Electrified direct epoxidation of light hydrocarbons using alkene-binding atomic sites (opens in new tab)

Direct electrochemical epoxidation of alkenes could reduce the carbon intensity of epoxidation processes. However, highly selective electrified epoxidation is hindered by the competing oxygen evolution reaction. Analysis of the best-performing electrocatalysts reported to date reveals that propylene binds weakly to their surfaces while oxygen evolution intermediates predominate. Here we attempted to find catalysts on which surface-adsorbed propylene resides in proximity to reactive oxygen spe...