Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Light Alkanes on Supported Molten Alkali Metal Chloride Catalysts

Potential and limitations of molten alkali metal (Li, Na, and K) chlorides supported on Dy2O3/MgO were explored for the oxidative dehydrogenation of lower alkanes, such as ethane and propane. The catalysts have high activity and selectivity to olefins compared to conventional catalysts. Optimum performance is obtained with catalysts on which the alkali metal chloride phase is molten under reaction conditions. Lower chloride melting point correlates with higher selectivity. The high selectivity to ethene or propene is attributed to the high mobility of cations and anions, which facilitates desorption of alkene (limiting further oxidation) and the generation of spatially isolated hypochloride anions acting as the active sites for the primary C-H bond activation.