Ozonated Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes as Highly Active and Selective Catalyst in the Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Ethyl Benzene to Styrene

Purification and ozonation protocols for the functionalization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were developed to modify the surface with respect to increasing the catalytic activity of the samples in the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethyl benzene (ODEB) to styrene. The modification processes drastically enhance the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area and the number of oxygen-containing groups on the surface of the nanotubes. The modified MWCNT exhibit significantly improved conversion and styrene selectivity in the ODEB reaction. For instance, ozonation led to MWCNT-based catalysts revealing conversion and selectivity values of 80% and 92 %, respectively. An increase in surface oxygen accompanied by high catalytic activity observed on the catalysts suggests that oxygen-containing groups are the dominant active sites for the reaction.