Progress in selective oxidative dehydrogenation of light alkanes to olefins promoted by boron nitride catalysts

Conversion of light alkanes into industrial chemical olefins via oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) is a promising route because of favorable thermodynamic and kinetic characteristics, but encounters difficulties in selectivity control for olefins because of over-oxidation reactions that produce a substantial amount of undesired carbon oxides. Compared to widely-developed metal oxide-based catalysts, functionalized boron nitride has recently been shown as a competitive system in the ODH of light alkanes because of its more superior selectivity toward olefins as well as negligible formation of CO2. It is also characterized by high productivity to light olefins, remarkable catalyst stability, superior anti-oxidation ability, and excellent thermal conductivity. This feature article highlights the recent developments in applying boron nitride towards the ODH reaction of light alkanes. By correlating structural character with catalytic behavior, we expect to provide more insights into the catalytic nature of boron nitride-based materials in ODH reactions. Finally, we envisage perspective directions for boron-based ODH catalysts.