PtSnNa/SUZ-4: An efficient catalyst for propane dehydrogenation

The structure and catalytic properties of PtSn catalysts supported on SUZ-4 and ZSM-5 zeolite have been studied by using various experimental techniques including XRD, nitrogen adsorption, NH3-TPD, TG, H-2-TPR and TPO techniques combined with propane dehydrogenation tests. It has been shown that SUZ-4-supported PtSnNa (PtSnNa/SUZ-4) was determined to be a better catalyst for propane dehydrogenation than conventional catalysts supported on ZSM-5, owing to its higher catalytic activity and stability. Dibenzothiophene poisoning experiments were performed to investigate the detailed structures of the two supported catalysts. The characterization of the two catalysts indicates that the distribution of Pt on the porous support affects the activity. In contrast to ZSM-5-supported catalysts, Pt particles on the PtSnNa/SUZ-4 are primarily dispersed over the external surface and are not as readily deactivated by carbon deposition. This is because that the strong acid sites of the SUZ-4 zeolite evidently prevented the impregnation of the Pt precursor H2PtCl6 into the zeolite. In contrast, the weak acid sites of the ZSM-5 zeolite led to more of the precursor entering the zeolite tunnels, followed by transformation to highly dispersed Pt clusters during calcination. In the case of the PtSnNa/ZSM-5, the interactions between Sn oxides and the support were lessened, owing to the weaker acidity of the ZSM-5 zeolite. The dispersed Sn oxides were therefore easier to reduce to the metallic state, thus decreasing the catalytic activity for hydrocarbon dehydrogenation. (C) 2017, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.