(765g) Zeolite Supported Pt/Ga Catalysts for Highly Efficient Ethane Dehydrogenation to Ethylene

Ethylene is one of the most important platform chemicals in industry. The commercial production of ethylene is primarily practiced by steam cracking of naphtha derived from crude oil, which is highly energy intensive (>800 °C), suffers from severe coking, and contributes significantly to CO₂ and NO_x emissions [1-3]. The recent shale gas revolution in the United States has stimulated great interests in exploring alternative processes for ethylene production directly from ethane. Catalytic ethane dehydrogenation (EDH) to ethylene is one of the promising routes that can both improve the energy efficiency and mitigate the environmental impact. The key for the success of this process is to develop highly efficient, selective, and stable catalysts [1-4]. In this work we have developed a highly efficient PtGa catalyst supported on zeolite materials for non-oxidative EDH reaction. We have found remarkable support effect on the performances of PtGa catalysts in the EDH reaction. In particular, the pore structure as well as the acidic properties of the zeolite support plays an important role in determining the activity and stability of the PtGa catalysts. The surface properties as well as structural features were examined by a combination of temperature programmed experiments and in-situ characterization techniques. Quantum chemical modeling calculations was also conducted to gain deeper understanding of the nature of active sites and the origin of the remarkable support effect.

References

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