Anchoring Pt sites via chemical confining functional ZnOx islands in propane dehydrogenation

Abstract

The surface properties of heterogeneous catalysts regulated by the modified support are considered to be the key factors in determining catalytic performance. In propane dehydrogenation, PtZn catalysts have poor catalytic life due to the structural instability of Zn species although it owns high intrinsic activity. Herein, the dealuminated Beta zeolite is harnessed for chemically confining the introduced Zn species, the formed functionalZnOx (0 < x < 2) islands are further responsible for anchoring Pt1Zn1 alloys. According to the comprehensive characterization, the modifying surface defects on the Beta support can provide benign metal-support interaction and modulate the electronic structure of supported metal species. Hence, the Pt/ZnOx-SiBeta catalyst embodies 59.5 % propane conversion with a high propylene selectivity of 99.2 % and no obvious deactivation undergoing 100 h of dehydrogenation reaction. The optimal electronic interaction exists between ZnOx and SiBeta, which inhibits the aggregation of Pt sites and the coking formation.