In-situ constructed ultrathin hydrotalcite derivative supported PtIn catalyst for isobutane direct dehydrogenation

Abstract

The stable and ultrathin hydrotalcite nanosheets with thickness of ca. 1.0 nm have been built on the surface of Al2O3 by sharing Al element and using layer growth inhibitor formamide. Based on the topological transformation characteristics of hydrotalcite and the structural memory effect of calcined product, the supported PtIn bimetallic catalyst was achieved by stepwise incipient wetness impregnation method followed by calcination and reduction, and evaluated in isobutane direct dehydrogenation (IDH) to isobutene. The derived ultrathin bimetallic catalyst possesses excellent IDH activity under extreme conditions, in which the isobutane conversion and isobutene selectivity can remain above 63% and 92% respectively, and the turnover frequency is as high as 13.45 s−1. The excellent activity can be attributed to the formation of ultrathin hydrotalcite precursor, which can greatly enhance the specific surface area, interaction among metal components, surface acidity of weak- and medium-acid sites and surface In3+/In0 ratio, and further effectively inhibit carbon deposition and improve dispersion and stability of active Pt species in the corresponding derivative.