posted on 2021-08-31, 20:45authored byJianshuo Zhang, Ruoyun Ma, Hyungwon Ham, Ken-ichi Shimizu, Shinya Furukawa
Propylene production
by propane dehydrogenation (PDH) generally
requires high temperatures due to thermodynamic equilibrium limitations.
This study developed a novel type of catalytic system for low-temperature
PDH by combining a surface protonics methodology with intermetallic
active sites. By application of an electric current, the intermetallic
Pt–In/TiO2 catalyst gave a propylene yield of 10.2%
with high selectivity, even at 250 °C, where the thermodynamic
equilibrium yield was only 0.15%. Electroassisted proton collisions
with propane allowed an unusual reaction pathway for low-temperature
PDH. Alloying of Pt with In drastically enhanced the activity and
selectivity due to the increased electron density of Pt.