Catalyst development for O₂-assisted oxidative dehydrogenation of propane to propylene

O₂-Assisted oxidative dehydrogenation of propane (O₂-ODHP) could convert abundant shale gas into propylene as an important chemical raw material, meaning O₂-ODHP has practical significance. Thermodynamically, high temperature is beneficial for O₂-ODHP; however, high reaction temperature always causes the overoxidation of propylene, leading to a decline in its selectivity. In this regard, it is crucial to achieve low temperatures while maintaining high efficiency and selectivity during O₂-ODHP. The use of catalytic technology provides more opportunities for achieving high-efficiency O₂-ODHP under mild conditions. Up to now, many kinds of catalytic systems have been elaborately designed, including transition metal oxide catalysts (such as vanadium-based catalysts, molybdenum-based catalysts, etc.), transition metal-based catalysts (such as Pt nanoclusters), rare earth metal oxide catalysts (especially CeO₂ related catalysts), and non-metallic catalysts (BN, other B-containing catalysts, and C-based catalysts). In this review, we have summarized the development progress of mainstream catalysts in O₂-ODHP, aiming at providing a clear picture to the catalysis community and advancing this research field further.