Promoting Effect of Cu on PtCa Catalyst for Propane Dehydrogenation to Propylene

ABSTRACT Propane dehydrogenation (PDH), as a key technology for propylene production, is of great importance for ensuring a continuous supply of this chemical, reducing the dependence on petroleum resources, and promoting low‐carbon transformation. Pt‐based catalysts exhibit excellent activity in PDH reactions; however, under high‐temperature reaction conditions, Pt particles are prone to migration and agglomeration, leading to irreversible catalyst deactivation and a reduction in catalyst activity and selectivity. In this study, using calcium‐modified mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Ca/MSN) as a support, PtxCu‐Ca/MSN (x = mass percentage of Cu) catalysts were prepared by varying the loading amount of Cu. The results of characterization experiments confirmed that the highly dispersed Cu species on the support could effectively anchor Pt species, thereby enhancing the metal–support interaction and resulting in an increased dispersion of Pt. Moreover, the addition of Cu modulated the electronic structure of Pt. Among the synthesized catalysts, the Pt1.0Cu‐Ca/MSN catalyst exhibited the highest PDH performance, with initial propane conversion and propylene selectivity of 57.0% and 93.6%, respectively, along with the lowest deactivation rate constant (0.044 h −1 ).