CO2-assisted oxidative dehydrogenation of propane enabled by the second metal promoter of Ga on Pt/silica catalysts

BACKGROUND: Carbon dioxide-assisted propane dehydrogenation (CO2-ODP) is a promising advanced technology for propylene production. However, a significant challenge still remains in advancing the adsorption and activation of propane and CO2, as hydrogenolysis and oligomerization isomerization reactions severely constrain propylene production. RESULTS: In this work, we introduce Ga as a second metal promoter into Pt/SiO2 catalysts, effectively promoting the dispersion of active particles and significantly reducing their size, thereby enhancing their catalytic activity. Meanwhile, the impregnation of Ga also promotes the activation of CO2, ultimately accelerating the reverse gas-water shift reaction. CONCLUSION: The propylene yield and CO2 conversion of Pt-Ga-1/SiO2 catalyst increased up to 40.45% and 45.10%, respectively, which were 17.54 and 6.62 times higher than those of the pristine SiO2-Pt catalyst at weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) = 3.1 h(-1). Most notably, the C3H6 selectivity of SiO2-Pt/Ga-1 catalyst remarkably achieved an impressive value of 99.04%, which was much higher than that of other bimetallic-based catalysts, thus providing valuable guidance for the rational development of bimetallic highly active CO2-ODP catalysts. (c) 2025 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).