High-Temperature Electrochemical Ethane Oxidative Dehydrogenation Coupled with H 2 O/CO 2 Electrolysis in Tubular Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells

Electrochemical oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of ethane to ethylene in solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) provides an efficient route for the valorization of light alkanes. In this work, a tubular solid oxide electrolysis cell (T-SOEC) with a Ni-YSZ (yttria-stabilized zirconia) cathode support and a SrFe0.9Ti0.1O3−δ (STF) anode was employed to achieve the coupling of anodic C2H6 ODH with cathodic H2O or CO2 electrolysis. At 700, 750, and 800 °C, the ethylene yields reached 53.8, 71.4, and 77.7%, respectively, which are significantly higher than those reported for most electrochemical and thermochemical systems. Meanwhile, the faradaic efficiencies for H2 or CO formation at the cathode were nearly 100%, and the cell exhibited stable operation without any coking. This work bridges the gap in the application of T-SOECs to C2H6 ODH-coupled electrolysis and offers a promising pathway toward low-carbon ethylene production and industrial implementation of electrochemical ODH processes.