Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 31, 2025

Synthesis and Testing of Supported Pt-Cu Solid Solution Nanoparticle Catalysts for Propane Dehydrogenation
Published on: July 18, 2017
Remote Activation Catalysis: Interparticle Hydrogen Spillover-Assisted Cumene Synthesis from Propane and Benzene
Kenta Suzuki1, Shingo Hasegawa1, Ryota Osuga2
1Department of Chemistry and Life Science, Yokohama National University, Yokohama, 240-8501, Japan.
Abstract:
Hydrogen spillover, particularly when involving "interparticle" hydrogen spillover, offers a unique opportunity to enhance catalytic efficiency by remote activation of surface acidity. Building on this concept, this study aims to investigate physically mixed alumina-supported platinum nanoparticles (Pt/Al2O3) and zirconia-supported tungsten oxide (WO3/ZrO2) in promoting the direct synthesis of cumene from benzene and propane at 300 °C. The reaction with Pt/Al2O3 alone afforded propylene as the only product, indicating the successive reaction route of Pt-catalyzed dehydrogenation of propane, followed by acid-catalyzed alkylation. WO3/ZrO2 with 18 wt.% WO3 loading resulted in high benzene conversion (≈5.0%) and cumene selectivity (≈87.5%), which possesses poly tungstate species on the surface that is active for the acid-catalyzed alkylation. UV-vis-near infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and in situ Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analyses revealed that atomic hydrogen abstracted from propane spills over from Pt/Al2O3 particles to WO3/ZrO2 particles to form Brønsted acid sites on the poly tungstate species, whose activity for alkylation between benzene and propylene is double that of the parent WO3/ZrO2.
More Related Videos
05:34Efficient Synthesis of Polyfunctionalized Benzenes in Water via Persulfate-promoted Benzannulation of α,β-Unsaturated Compounds and Alkynes
Published on: December 16, 2019
11:44Mizoroki-Heck Cross-coupling Reactions Catalyzed by Dichloro{bis[1,1',1''-phosphinetriyltripiperidine]}palladium Under Mild Reaction Conditions
Published on: March 20, 2014
Related Concept Videos
Benzene to Phenol via Cumene: Hock Process
Reduction of Benzene to Cyclohexane: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Metals like palladium, platinum, and nickel are commonly used in their solid forms — fine powder on an inert surface. As these catalysts remain insoluble in the reaction mixture, they are referred to as heterogeneous catalysts.
The hydrogenation process takes place on the...
Catalysis
Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Like alkenes, alkynes can be reduced to alkanes in the presence of transition metal catalysts such as Pt, Pd, or Ni. The reaction involves two sequential syn additions of hydrogen via a cis-alkene intermediate.
Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...