A Facile Approach\nto Alumina-Supported Pt Catalysts\nfor the Dehydrogenation of Propane

The catalytic dehydrogenation of propane is an economically\ninteresting\nprocess for the production of propylene due to its high selectivity\nto the olefin and the coupled generation of hydrogen. The catalysts\nare usually obtained by depositing the active components from solutions\n onto a support. Here we show that the direct synthesis of alumina-supported\nplatinum catalysts in a ball mill in a single step provides easy access\nto efficient catalysts that are comparable in performance to materials\nobtained by more complex synthesis techniques. This was demonstrated\nby analysis using XRD, N<sub>2</sub> adsorption, chemical analysis,\nFTIR spectroscopy, and electron microscopy and by functional characterization\nof the catalysts in the dehydrogenation of propane to propylene. Although\nthe ball milling procedure was not optimized, the catalysts exhibit\na narrow Pt particle size distribution around 2 nm and are active\nat comparatively low reaction temperatures, producing in the steady\nstate at 500 °C approximately 300 g<sub>propylene</sub> g<sub>Pt</sub><sup>‑1</sup> h<sup>–1</sup>. The selectivity remains very high even at temperatures\nas high as 550 °C. Sintering of Pt under the harsh reaction conditions\nis not observed. The scalable method saves energy and avoids waste\nas no solvents and no thermal or reducing pretreatments are required.