Doubly Decorated Platinum–Gallium Intermetallics as Stable Catalysts for Propane Dehydrogenation

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2021-09, Vol.60 (36), p.19715-19719
• Main Authors: Nakaya, Yuki, Xing, Feilong, Ham, Hyungwon, Shimizu, Ken‐ichi, Furukawa, Shinya
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Catalysts; Deactivation; Dehydrogenation; double decoration; electron enrichment; Gallium; Intermetallic compounds; Joint ventures; Lead; Nanoparticles; Platinum; Propane; propane dehydrogenation; Propylene; Side reactions; Silicon dioxide; single-atom catalysts; Stability; Synergism
• ISSN: 1433-7851; 1521-3773
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.202107210

Propane dehydrogenation (PDH) is a promising chemical process that can satisfy the increasing global demand for propylene. However, the Pt‐based catalysts that have been reported thus far are typically deactivated at ≥600 °C by side reactions and coke formation. Thus, such catalysts possess an insufficient life. Herein, we report a novel catalyst design concept, namely, the double decoration of PtGa intermetallics by Pb and Ca, which synergize the geometric and electronic promotion effects on the catalyst stability, respectively. Pb is deposited on the three‐fold Pt3 sites of the PtGa nanoparticles to block them, whereas Ca, which affords an electron‐enriched single‐atom‐like Pt1 site, is placed around the nanoparticles. Thus, PtGa−Ca−Pb/SiO2 exhibits an outstandingly high catalytic stability, even at 600 °C (kd=0.00033 h−1, τ=3067 h), and almost no deactivation of the catalyst was observed for up to 1 month for the first time. A catalyst design consisting of the double‐decoration of nanoparticulate intermetallic PtGa with Pb and Ca was applied to produce an ultra‐stable catalyst for propane dehydrogenation (PDH) at a high temperature. PtGa−Ca−Pb/SiO2 exhibited outstanding catalytic stability in PDH at 600 °C, and almost no deactivation was observed for up to 1 month.