Size-Dependent Reaction Mechanism and Kinetics for Propane Dehydrogenation over Pt Catalysts

Platinum cluster size has a significant influence on the activity, selectivity, and stability as well as the reaction mechanism during propane dehydrogenation (PDH). Well-controlled platinum catalysts of different cluster sizes are prepared by a seed growth method and supported on calcined hydrotalcite. The Pt catalysts show strong structure-sensitive behavior both in the C–H bond activation of propane and in the C–C bond activation to yield ethylene, methane, and coke. The Pt clusters of small cluster sizes, with (211) dominating on the surface, have a lower dehydrogenation energy barrier and thus higher activity. However, large Pt clusters with Pt(111) dominating result in a weakened binding strength of propylene and an increased energy barrier for the activation of C–H bonds in propylene, which leads to higher selectivity toward propylene by lowering the possibility of deep dehydrogenation. Kinetic analysis illustrates that the reaction order in hydrogen decreases and activation energy increases with an increasing Pt cluster size. Combined with density functional theory calculations and isotope effect experiments, it gives strong evidence of the change in reaction mechanism with Pt cluster size. It suggests that on small Pt clusters that are mostly surrounded by undercoordinated surface sites, the first C–H bond activation is likely to be the rate-determining step, while the second C–H bond activation is kinetically relevant on large Pt particles with terrace sites dominating.