Role of Boron in Enhancing the Catalytic Performance of Supported Platinum Catalysts for the Nonoxidative Dehydrogenation of n-Butane

Platinum-based supported catalysts for hydrocarbon conversion are among the most effective for selective dehydrogenation and isomerization processes. However, high process temperatures and the possibility of coke formation require catalyst modifications to mitigate such effects. One of the emerging approaches to prevent platinum catalyst deactivation is the use of boron additives that have been proposed to prevent coking. Despite such a valuable property of boron, the mechanisms for extending the catalyst lifetime and the decrease in coke formation based on this method are still poorly understood. The type and transformations of boron species on silica surface were investigated as a function of boron introduction, platinum addition, catalyst activation, and catalytic reactivity by a combination of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electron microscopy, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations to uncover the possible role of boron modification in improving the catalytic performance. Catalytic nonoxidative dehydrogenation of n-butane revealed that incorporation of boron improved the catalytic activity (similar to 3x) and stability of Pt/SiO2. The role of boron in enhancing catalytic performance was attributed to facilitating the migration of alkyl groups from platinum catalytic centers to tetrahedrally coordinated boron sites.