Ceria in halogen chemistry

Halogen chemistry constitutes an essential part in the industrial production of polymers and gains increasing attention as an attractive strategy to activate light alkanes that constitute natural gas. CeO2-based catalysts offer an exciting potential for advances in hydrogen halide recovery that enables a high efficiency of halogen-based processes for activation of small molecules. This review provides an overview of recently developed ceria-based catalysts in the context of polymer industry (polyvinyl chloride, polyurethanes, and polycarbonates) and activation of light hydrocarbons for natural gas upgrading. In addition, mechanistic insight and the challenges of ceria catalysts are provided, aiding the design of future catalytic materials and applications. (C) 2020, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.