Highly Stable Propane Dehydrogenation on a Self-Supporting Single-Component Zn₂SiO₄ Catalyst

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Catalysis
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Current industrial propane dehydrogenation (PDH) relies on toxic chromium or expensive platinum catalysts.
• There is a critical need for alternative, sustainable, and cost-effective catalysts for PDH.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce Zn2SiO4 as a highly efficient and stable self-supporting catalyst for PDH.
• To investigate the role of CO2 in enhancing catalyst longevity.
• To explore regeneration strategies for sustained catalytic activity.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis and characterization of Zn2SiO4 nanocrystals.
• Evaluation of catalytic performance in PDH reactions at 550°C.
• Investigation of the effect of CO2 co-feeding and surface etching for regeneration.

Main Results:

• Zn2SiO4 functions as an effective self-supporting catalyst, with surface Zn species reducing to active ZnO_x sites.
• Stable PDH performance exceeding 200 hours was achieved.
• CO2 addition extended catalyst lifespan to over 2000 hours by preventing over-reduction.
• Catalytic activity was fully restored by surface etching.

Conclusions:

• Zn2SiO4 is a promising, cost-effective, and stable catalyst for propane dehydrogenation.
• CO2 co-feeding and site regeneration are effective strategies for long-term industrial application.
• This approach could enable year-long continuous PDH operation with a single catalyst batch.