In this presentation I will describe my journey in the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane on supported vanadium oxide catalysts. I will highlight i) the synergistic effects at sub- and monolayer coverage of ternary metal oxide catalysts, ii) the role of alkali promoters on the dispersion of metal oxides on SiO2 and iii) the anchoring of two-dimensional VOx species on the surface of supports with high thermal conductivity. Propane ODH has been extensively studied, although it is still far from industrial application. This reaction is of enormous practical relevance as the potential is great for a more sustainable production of propylene. However, the still limited success in performing this reaction effectively evidences the level of our scientific understanding in this area. In my view, what we know about propane ODH can be summarized as follows: 1) supported vanadium oxide catalysts at sub- and monolayer coverage have shown the most attractive performance in terms of activity and selectivity. 2) The material support strongly influences both the rate of propane consumption and propylene formation, and having solely two-dimensional MOx species are crucial for high propylene selectivity. 3) The most influential principle of how the reaction works is that of “lattice oxygen” following the Mars-van Krevelen type mechanism. 4) The initial C-H activation is the rate-determining step in the overall process. 5) The reaction rates are first order in propane and zero order in oxygen. 6) Irrespective of how oxygen becomes activated, there is agreement that several species of oxygen (nucleophilic and electrophilic oxygen) are coexisting, which are responsible for the observed selectivity. 7) Direct combustion and/or cracking of propane are negligible in comparison to the consecutive combustion of propylene. In this presentation I will compile published, patented, and preliminary data obtained in my PhD studies working with Professors R. Schomäcker, R. Schlögl and I. Wachs, as well as results obtained as a postdoctoral researcher working with Prof. I. Hermans.

Binary and ternary supported metal oxide catalysts for propane activation: Synergistic effects, alkali promoters and highly thermal conductive materials to boost productivity toward propylene

252nd National Meeting (2016)

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