Catalyst development for O2-assisted oxidative dehydrogenation of propane to propylene

O2-Assisted oxidative dehydrogenation of propane (O2-ODHP) could convert abundant shale gas into propylene as an important chemical raw material, meaning O2-ODHP has practical significance. Thermodynamically, high temperature is beneficial for O2-ODHP; however, high reaction temperature always causes the overoxidation of propylene, leading to a decline in its selectivity. In this regard, it is crucial to achieve low temperatures while maintaining high efficiency and selectivity during O2-ODHP. The use of catalytic technology provides more opportunities for achieving high-efficiency O2-ODHP under mild conditions. Up to now, many kinds of catalytic systems have been elaborately designed, including transition metal oxide catalysts (such as vanadium-based catalysts, molybdenum-based catalysts, etc.), transition metal-based catalysts (such as Pt nanoclusters), rare earth metal oxide catalysts (especially CeO2 related catalysts), and non-metallic catalysts (BN, other B-containing catalysts, and C-based catalysts). In this review, we have summarized the development progress of mainstream catalysts in O2-ODHP, aiming at providing a clear picture to the catalysis community and advancing this research field further.

Understanding the Decomposition of Dimethyl Methyl Phosphonate on Metal-Modified TiO2(110) Surfaces Using Ensembles of Product Configurations

The decomposition of dimethyl methyl phosphonate (DMMP), a simulant for the nerve agent sarin, was investigated on Cu4/TiO2(110) and K/Cu4/TiO2(110) surfaces using a combination of near-ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS) and density functional theory calculations (DFT). Mass-selected Cu4 clusters and potassium (K) atoms were deposited onto TiO2(110) as a metal catalyst and alkali promoter to improve the reactivity and recyclability of the TiO2 surface after exposure to DMMP. Surface reaction products resulting from decomposition of DMMP were probed by NAP-XPS measurements of phosphorus (P) 2p and carbon 1s core-level spectra. The Cu4/TiO2(110) surface is found to be very active for DMMP decomposition with highly reduced P-species observed even at room temperature (RT). The codeposition of K atoms and Cu4 clusters further improves the reactivity with no intact DMMP detectable. Temperature-dependent measurements show that the presence of K atoms promotes the removal of residual P-species at temperatures > 600 K. Detailed DFT calculations were performed to determine the surface structures and energetically accessible pathways for DMMP decomposition on Cu4/TiO2(110) and K/Cu4/TiO2(110) surfaces. The calculations show that DMMP and P-containing reaction products preferentially bind to the TiO2 surface, while the molecular fragments, i.e., methoxy and methyl, bind to both the Cu4 clusters and TiO2. The Cu4 clusters make the P-O, O-C, and P-C bond cleavages of DMMP markedly more exothermic. The Cu4 clusters are highly fluxional with atomic structures that depend on the configuration of fragments bound to them. Finally, the manifold of P 2p chemical shifts calculated for a large number of energetically favorable configurations of decomposition products is in good agreement with the observed XPS spectra and provides an alternative way of interpreting incompletely resolved core-level spectra using an ensemble of observed structures.

Gas-Phase Selective Oxidation of Methane into Methane Oxygenates

Methane is an abundant resource and its direct conversion into value-added chemicals has been an attractive subject for its efficient utilization. This method can be more efficient than the present energy-intensive indirect conversion of methane via syngas, a mixture of CO and H2. Among the various approaches for direct methane conversion, the selective oxidation of methane into methane oxygenates (e.g., methanol and formaldehyde) is particularly promising because it can proceed at low temperatures. Nevertheless, due to low product yields this method is challenging. Compared with the liquid-phase partial oxidation of methane, which frequently demands for strong oxidizing agents in protic solvents, gas-phase selective methane oxidation has some merits, such as the possibility of using oxygen as an oxidant and the ease of scale-up owing to the use of heterogeneous catalysts. Herein, we summarize recent advances in the gas-phase partial oxidation of methane into methane oxygenates, focusing mainly on its conversion into formaldehyde and methanol.

Recent Advances in the Applications of Mesoporous Silica in Heterogenous Catalysis

Mesoporous silica is a class of silica material with a large specific surface area, high specific pore volume and meso-sized pores. These properties make mesoporous silica a good choice of...

Enhanced C–H bond activation by tuning the local environment of surface lattice oxygen of MoO3

The lattice oxygen on transition metal oxides serves as a critical active site in the dehydrogenation of alkanes, whose activity is determined by electronic properties and environmental structures. Hydrogen affinity has been used as a universal descriptor to predict C–H bond activation, while the understanding of the environmental structure is ambiguous due to its complexity. This paper describes a combined theoretical and experimental study to reveal the activity of lattice oxygen species with different local structures, taking Mo-based oxides and C–H bond activation of low-carbon alkanes as model catalytic systems. Our theoretical work suggests that oxygen species with convex curvature are more active than those with concave curvature. Theoretically, we propose an interpretative descriptor, the activation deformation energy, to quantify the surface reconstruction induced by adsorbates with various environmental structures. Experimentally, a Mo-based polyoxometalate with the convex curvature structure shows nearly five times the initial activity than single-crystal molybdenum oxide with the concave one. This work provides theoretical guidance for designing metal oxide catalysts with high activity.

Tuning of the environmental structure near the lattice oxygen of molybdenum oxides can form a favorable spatial structure to enhance the intrinsic activity for C–H bond activation.

Synthesis of Methyl Mercaptan on Mesoporous Alumina Prepared with Hydroxysafflor Yellow A as Template: The Synergistic Effect of Potassium and Molybdenum

K-promoted Mo-based catalysts showed great promise for the hydrogenation of CS2 to methyl mercaptan (CH3SH). However, the research on the synergistic effect of K and Mo, and the active site of CS2 hydrogenation to CH3SH were unexplored widely. To solve this problem, the synergistic effect of K and Mo in the K-promoted Mo-based catalysts for CS2 hydrogenation to prepare CH3SH was investigated. The mesoporous alumina was the support and loaded the active components potassium and molybdenum to prepare the catalyst. The results suggested that the active components K and Mo can not only cooperatively regulate the acid-base sites on the catalyst surface, but also stabilize the molybdate species at +5 valence during the reduction process and increase the Mo unsaturated coordination sites. Combined with the results of the catalytic activity evaluation, indicating that the main active site of the catalysts is the weak Lewis acid-base site, and the strong acidic site and strong alkaline site are not conducive to the formation of CH3SH. Moreover, the possible catalytic mechanism of CS2 hydrogenation to CH3SH on the weak Lewis acid-base sites of the catalysts was proposed. The research results of this paper can provide an experimental basis and theoretical guidance for the design of high-performance CH3SH synthesis catalyst and further mechanism research.

Investigation of MoOx/Al2O3 under Cyclic Operation for Oxidative and Non-Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Propane

A MoOx/Al2O3 catalyst was synthesised and tested for oxidative (ODP) and non-oxidative (DP) dehydrogenation of propane in a reaction cycle of ODP followed by DP and a second ODP run. Characterisation results show that the fresh catalyst contains highly dispersed Mo oxide species in the +6 oxidation state with tetrahedral coordination as [MoVIO4]2− moieties. In situ X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) shows that [MoVIO4]2− is present during the first ODP run of the reaction cycle and is reduced to MoIVO2 in the following DP run. The reduced species are partly re-oxidised in the subsequent second ODP run of the reaction cycle. The partly re-oxidised species exhibit oxidation and coordination states that are lower than 6 but higher than 4 and are referred to as MoxOy. These species significantly improved propene formation (relatively 27% higher) in the second ODP run at similar propane conversion activity. Accordingly, the initial tetrahedral [MoVIO4]2− present during the first ODP run of the reaction cycle is active for propane conversion; however, it is unselective for propene. The reduced MoIVO2 species are relatively less active and selective for DP. It is suggested that the MoxOy species generated by the reaction cycle are active and selective for ODP. The vibrational spectroscopic data indicate that the retained surface species are amorphous carbon deposits with a higher proportion of aromatic/olefinic like species.

Catalytic function of VOx/Al2O3 for oxidative dehydrogenation of propane: support microstructure-dependent mass transfer and diffusion

The intrinsic effect of the support microstructure on the catalytic function of VO_x/Al₂O₃ in the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane (ODHP) was studied.

Fine-Tuning the Activity of Metal-Organic Framework-Supported Cobalt Catalysts for the Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Propane

Few-atom cobalt-oxide clusters, when dispersed on a Zr-based metal-organic framework (MOF) NU-1000, have been shown to be active for the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of propane at low temperatures (<230 °C), affording a selective and stable propene production catalyst. In our current work, a series of promoter ions with varying Lewis acidity, including Ni(II), Zn(II), Al(III), Ti(IV) and Mo(VI), are anchored as metal-oxide,hydroxide clusters to NU-1000 followed by Co(II) ion deposition, yielding a series of NU-1000-supported bimetallic-oxo,hydroxo,aqua clusters. Using difference envelope density (DED) analyses, the spatial locations of the promoter ions and catalytic cobalt ions are determined. For all samples, the promoter ions are sited between pairs of Zr₆ nodes along the MOF c-axis, whereas the location of the cobalt ions varies with the promoter ions. These NU-1000-supported bimetallic-oxide clusters are active for propane ODH after thermal activation under O₂ to open a cobalt coordination site and to oxidize Co(II) to Co(III), as evidenced by operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Co K-edge. In accord with the decreasing Lewis acidity of the promoter ion, catalytic activity increases in the following order: Mo(VI) < Ti(IV) < Al(III) < Zn(II) < Ni(II). The finding is attributed to increasing ease of formation of Co(III)-O^• species and stabilization of a cobalt(III)-oxyl/propane transition state as the Lewis acidity of the promoter ions decreases. The results point to an increasing ability to fine-tune the structure-dependent activity of MOF-supported heterogeneous catalysts. Coupled with mechanistic studies-computational or experimental-this ability may translate into informed prediction of improved catalysts for propane ODH and other chemical reactions.

Understanding trends in C-H bond activation in heterogeneous catalysis

While the search for catalysts capable of directly converting methane to higher value commodity chemicals and liquid fuels has been active for over a century, a viable industrial process for selective methane activation has yet to be developed. Electronic structure calculations are playing an increasingly relevant role in this search, but large-scale materials screening efforts are hindered by computationally expensive transition state barrier calculations. The purpose of the present letter is twofold. First, we show that, for the wide range of catalysts that proceed via a radical intermediate, a unifying framework for predicting C-H activation barriers using a single universal descriptor can be established. Second, we combine this scaling approach with a thermodynamic analysis of active site formation to provide a map of methane activation rates. Our model successfully rationalizes the available empirical data and lays the foundation for future catalyst design strategies that transcend different catalyst classes.

Studies on the promoting effect of sulfate species in catalytic dehydrogenation of propane over Fe2O3/Al2O3 catalysts

The nature of the effect of sulfate species on properties and dehydrogenation performance of Fe₂O₃/Al₂O₃ catalysts was systematically studied.

Alteration of architecture of MoO₃ nanostructures on arbitrary substrates: growth kinetics, spectroscopic and gas sensing properties

MoO3 nanostructures have been grown in thin film form on five different substrates by RF magnetron sputtering and subsequent annealing; non-aligned nanorods, aligned nanorods, bundled nanowires, vertical nanorods and nanoslabs are formed respectively on the glass, quartz, wafer, alumina and sapphire substrates. The nanostructures formed on these substrates are characterized by AFM, SEM, GIXRD, XPS, micro-Raman, diffuse reflectance and photoluminescence spectroscopy. A detailed growth model for morphology alteration with respect to substrates has been discussed by considering various aspects such as surface roughness, lattice parameters and the thermal expansion coefficient, of both substrates and MoO3. The present study developed a strategy for the choice of substrates to materialize different types MoO3 nanostructures for future thin film applications. The gas sensing tests point towards using these MoO3 nanostructures as principal detection elements in gas sensors.

Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Propane over V2O5/MoO3/Al2O3 and V2O5/Cr2O3/Al2O3: Structural Characterization and Catalytic Function

The structure and catalytic properties of binary dispersed oxide structures prepared by sequential deposition of VO(x) and MoO(x) or VO(x) and CrO(x) on Al(2)O(3) were examined using Raman and UV-visible spectroscopies, the dynamics of stoichiometric reduction in H(2), and the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane. VO(x) domains on Al(2)O(3) modified by an equivalent MoO(x) monolayer led to dispersed binary structures at all surface densities. MoO(x) layers led to higher reactivity for VO(x) domains present at low VO(x) surface densities by replacing V-O-Al structures with more reactive V-O-Mo species. At higher surface densities, V-O-V structures in prevalent polyvanadates were replaced with less reactive V-O-Mo, leading to lower reducibility and oxidative dehydrogenation rates. Raman, reduction, and UV-visible data indicate that polyvanadates predominant on Al(2)O(3) convert to dispersed binary oxide structures when MoO(x) is deposited before or after VO(x) deposition; these structures are less reducible and show higher UV-visible absorption energies than polyvanadate structures on Al(2)O(3). The deposition sequence in binary Mo-V catalysts did not lead to significant differences in structure or catalytic rates, suggesting that the two active oxide components become intimately mixed. The deposition of CrO(x) on Al(2)O(3) led to more reactive VO(x) domains than those deposited on pure Al(2)O(3) at similar VO(x) surface densities. At all surface densities, the replacement of V-O-Al or V-O-V structures with V-O-Cr increased the reducibility and catalytic reactivity of VO(x) domains; it also led to higher propene selectivities via the selective inhibition of secondary C(3)H(6) combustion pathways, prevalent in VO(x)-Al(2)O(3), and of C(3)H(8) combustion routes that lead to low alkene selectivities on CrO(x)-Al(2)O(3). VO(x) and CrO(x) mix significantly during synthesis or thermal treatment to form CrVO(4) domains. The deposition sequence, however, influences catalytic selectivities and reduction rates, suggesting the retention of some of the component deposited last as unmixed domains exposed at catalyst surfaces. These findings suggest that the reduction and catalytic properties of active VO(x) domains can be modified significantly by the formation of binary dispersed structures. VO(x)-CrO(x) structures, in particular, lead to higher oxidative dehydrogenation rates and selectivities than do VO(x) domains present at similar surface densities on pure Al(2)O(3) supports.