Recent Advances in the Understanding of Boron-Containing Catalysts for the Selective Oxidation of Alkanes to Olefins

The production of ethylene and propylene through aerobic alkane oxidation without significant coproduction of CO and CO2 (COx) presents a challenge to academic and industrial researchers alike. Recently, boron-containing materials such as hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) have been identified as active and selective catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of propane to propylene with minimal COx selectivity. Additionally, high olefin selectivity is also obtained in the oxidation of other alkanes and other materials such as metal borides and supported B/SiO2 have been successfully applied to this transformation. Recent advances in the understanding of these catalysts in the oxidation of light alkanes are presented here providing a framework for further study of this exciting field.