A Review on Production of Ethylene Oxide from Epoxidation of Ethylene: Catalysis, Mechanism and Kinetics

This review describes the different developments in the production of ethylene oxide (EO) by epoxidation of ethylene. EO is an important chemical intermediate for the manufacture of a variety of industrial and consumer products, such as ethylene glycol, plastics, and pharmaceuticals. The conventional gas-phase epoxidation process using silver-based catalysts suffers from major drawbacks, including low selectivity and high carbon dioxide emissions. This review underlines emerging solutions for efficiency and sustainability improvement in EO production. Major developments in catalyst design, including novel silver-based hybrid nanostructures, Mn-N₄GP catalysts, and chemical looping epoxidation processes, are presented. It also discusses developments in reaction kinetics, including catalyst surface optimization and the use of dopants. The article also outlines catalyst deactivation challenges, cost, and scalability and describes future research directions on renewable feedstocks, reducing energy consumption and most importantly environmental impact. These innovations are oriented toward a more sustainable and economical route for large-scale manufacturing of ethylene oxide.