Magnetically Induced Functional Fe 3 O 4 /Iron Foam Catalysts for Enhanced CO 2 ‐Assisted Ethane Dehydrogenation

Abstract

ABSTRACT CO 2 ‐assisted ethane dehydrogenation (CO 2 ‐EDH) combines olefin production with CO 2 conversion, yet suffers from high temperatures and catalyst instability in thermal catalysis. This work establishes an alternating current magnetic field (ACMF)‐mediated catalytic system using Fe 3 O 4 decorated on iron foam (Fe 3 O 4 /IF) as the induction catalyst, achieving significant enhancement of the CO 2 ‐EDH process under mild conditions. At 500°C, a temperature 200°C lower than that required in conventional thermal catalysis to reach a comparable conversion level, the system realized an ethane conversion of 22.2% with 97% ethylene selectivity. At an equivalent conversion level, the catalyst stability was improved by 15‐fold compared to traditional thermal catalysis, with continuous stable operation for 80 h. The eddy current effect induced by the alternating magnetic field promotes electron transfer between Fe and Fe 3 O 4 and accelerates the oxygen redox cycle, thereby enhancing the reaction kinetics of the CO 2 ‐EDH process based on the Mars–van Krevelen (MvK) mechanism. This work provides an effective approach for improving the performance of alkane dehydrogenation under mild conditions and contributes new insights to the field of magnetically induced catalysis.