Electronic metal-support interactions between zeolite and confined platinum-tin nanoalloy boosting propane dehydrogenation

Abstract

Zeolite-confined Pt-based bimetallic catalysts have shown great potential in the direct dehydrogenation (PDH) reaction, yet the low affinity of the bimetallic species with the zeolite supports often results in catalytic deactivation during long-term reactions. Creating strong interactions between metals and supports holds the promise to address this challenge. Herein, we report S-1 zeolite confined Pt3Sn bimetallic catalysts that exhibit enhanced activity and stability for PDH through electronic metal-support interactions (EMSI). Notably, the optimized Pt3Sn/S-1 catalyst shows a 310-fold increase in the catalytic stability compared to its SiO2-supported counterpart. Experimental and theoretical studies unveil that the Pt3Sn/S-1 catalyst is characterized by direct Sn–Pt–O–Si(OSi)3 interfacial bonds. The strong chemical bonding leads to electron transfer from Pt3Sn to S-1, signifying the strong EMSI effect that modulates the electronic and chemical properties of Pt3Sn. The presence of EMSI enhances the adsorption of propane and facilitate the desorption of propylene, consequently boosting both the activity and selectivity of the catalyst. This work highlights the profound impact of metal-support interactions for the development of high-performance PDH catalysts.