Non-metallic carbon-based catalysts for acetylene hydrochlorination: The effect of graphitization degree of carbonaceous material

Activated carbon fiber (ACF) carbon materials with different graphitization degrees were prepared by impregnation with iron salt solutions, where the graphitization degree was found to increase with the elevated impregnation concentration. Examining these materials for acetylene hydrochlorination demonstrated that their catalytic performances do not monotonically depend on the graphitization degree. Both density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental results revealed that the interface between the graphite layer and the support serves as the catalytic active site, and further clarified that the difference in the degree of exposure of the active interface results in the difference in catalytic activity.