Enabling reactive cobalt catalysts for propane dehydrogenation by regulating active site dispersity and charge...

Introducing promoters to modulate the dispersion and electronic properties of active metal centers is an effective strategy for enhancing catalytic performance in heterogeneous catalysis. Herein, lanthanum-modified cobalt-based catalysts are synthesized for propane dehydrogenation (PDH) reaction. The optimal CoLa_1.77-MFI catalyst delivered a propylene formation rate of 7.21 mmol g_catal^-1 h^-1, outperforming La-free Co-MFI catalyst of 5.64 mmol g_catal^-1 h^-1. Experimental characterizations combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the incorporation of La not only facilitates the dispersion of cobalt species, and enhance the amounts of Lewis acid sites, but also simultaneously tailors the charge density of active cobalt sites, facilitating the adsorption and activation of propane. This work provides new insights into the synergistic regulation of active-site dispersion and electronic structure by lanthanide promoters, offering a general strategy for the development of high-performance dehydrogenation catalysts.