Enhanced Carbon Dioxide Oxidative Dehydrogenation of 1-Butene by Iron-Doped Ordered Mesoporous Alumina

Iron-doped ordered mesoporous alumina (meso-FeAl) was synthesized through a one-pot method and used in the synthesis of 1,3-butadiene (BD) through the oxidative dehydrogenation of 1-butene by using CO2 as a soft oxidant. X-ray diffraction, N-2 adsorption, and transmission electron microscopy results confirmed the ordered mesoporous structure of the meso-FeAl catalyst with a high specific surface area and a large pore volume. The results also revealed that iron species were highly dispersed inside the alumina matrix. Relative to the Fe2O3-impregnated meso-Al2O3 catalyst and the conventional Fe2O3/-Al2O3 catalyst, meso-FeAl showed excellent catalytic activity, good stability, and high selectivity for the synthesis of BD. The structural properties as well as the form of the iron species existing in the meso-FeAl matrix positively contributed to the performance of the catalyst.