Water Droplet Microlightning Enables Catalyst-Free Alkane Dehydrogenation under Ambient Conditions

doi:10.1021/acssuschemeng.6c01846

Water Droplet Microlightning Enables Catalyst-Free Alkane Dehydrogenation under Ambient Conditions

2026-04-03

0

PRE

AI

DOI：10.1021/acssuschemeng.6c01846

Original

Original request for help

Save

Abstract

En 中文

We report that microlightning generated between oppositely charged microdroplets during the spraying of pure water surrounded by alkane vapor can initiate catalyst-free alkane dehydrogenation under ambient conditions. When cyclohexane (C6H12) vapor is introduced into the water spray, a series of dehydrogenated products including cyclohexenyl (C6H9+), cyclohexadienyl (C6H7+), and phenyl (C6H5+) cations are detected by high-resolution mass spectrometry. Control experiments establish that both water and molecular oxygen are essential for this transformation to occur. The capture of alkyl radical intermediates by mass spectrometry suggests that the dehydrogenation proceeds through microlightning-induced radical pathways. Furthermore, the reaction can be scaled up, achieving alkene formation rates of up to 12 mM h–1 as quantified by gas chromatography. Beyond cyclohexane, similar dehydrogenation is also observed for other aliphatic substrates. These findings demonstrate a catalyst-free and sustainable method for alkane dehydrogenation under ambient conditions.

Keywords:

Hydrocarbons

Interfaces

Liquids

Organic reactions

Plasma

dehydrogenation

microlightning

gas−water interface

water droplets

cyclohexane

Water Droplet Microlightning Enables Catalyst-Free Alkane Dehydrogenation under Ambient Conditions

Abstract

Journal

Organization