Stable Pt/MgAl2O4 catalysts for efficient production of H2 from cyclohexane dehydrogenation

Abstract

Cyclohexane as liquid organic hydrogen carriers has attracted considerable interest in the field of hydrogen storage technology. However, the innovation of efficient catalyst for producing H2 through cyclohexane dehydrogenation remains a substantial challenge. In this study, we have successfully developed Pt/MgAl2O4 catalysts exhibiting outstanding catalytic performance in cyclohexane dehydrogenation. Notably, the optimal catalyst Pt/MgAl2O4-700 achieves cyclohexane conversion of 89.1 % and benzene selectivity of over 99 % at 345 °C, resulting in a high hydrogen evolution rate of 933 mmol/gPt/min. Moreover, this catalyst exhibits remarkable long-term stability, with no evident loss of activity in 225-hour dehydrogenation reaction. The catalyst was characterized by XRD, N2 adsorption–desorption, STEM, XPS, NH3-TPD, CO-FTIR and H2-TPR techniques, which provides detailed structure information for elucidation of structure–activity relationship. The spinel structure and moderate acid density of the support enable highly dispersed Pt species at the surface of MgAl2O4. This results in the formation of ultra-small and sintering-resistant Pt particles that exhibit exceptional activity in cyclohexane dehydrogenation. Additionally, the presence of positively charged Ptδ+ species in Pt/MgAl2O4 facilitates the rapid desorption of benzene product. This effectively prevents the formation of coke arising from benzene dehydrogenation, which ensures to achieve high stability. These findings provide valuable knowledge for the rational design of efficient metal-based catalysts for liquid organic hydrogen carriers in hydrogen storage systems.