Recent Progress on Catalyst Supports for Propane Dehydrogenation

Background: Propane dehydrogenation (PDH) is the most potential propylene production technology, which can make up the large gap in downstream products of propylene. The catalyst supports lay the foundation for the catalytic activity and stability of the prepared catalysts in PDH reactions. Therefore, we focus on the discussion of single oxides, composite oxides, zeolites, and carbon materials as supports to demonstrate the improvement of the catalytic performance of the PDH catalysts. Methods: Recent studies on catalyst supports are reviewed, including the preparation, characterization, and PDH performance. Results: The supports with different morphologies and crystal structures have been reported for PDH. The enhanced strong interaction between the support and metal components is responsible for the superior PDH performance. Conclusions: The PDH catalysts mainly depend on the development of the support with specific physicochemical properties for the corresponding PDH processes. Therefore, it is crucial to develop the optimal supports to improve the PDH performance in the area of nanoscience materials.