Stable anchoring of single rhodium atoms by indium in zeolite alkane dehydrogenation catalysts

2024/02/29 by Lei Zeng, Kang Cheng, Fanfei Sun +15
Chemical Engineering · Materials Science · #Catalysis and Oxidation Reactions #Catalytic Processes in Materials Science #Machine Learning in Materials Science

paper · doi:10.1126/science.adk5195

openalex publication_date 2024/02/29 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30

Abstract

Maintaining the stability of single-atom catalysts in high-temperature reactions remains extremely challenging because of the migration of metal atoms under these conditions. We present a strategy for designing stable single-atom catalysts by harnessing a second metal to anchor the noble metal atom inside zeolite channels. A single-atom rhodium-indium cluster catalyst is formed inside zeolite silicalite-1 through in situ migration of indium during alkane dehydrogenation. This catalyst demonstrates exceptional stability against coke formation for 5500 hours in continuous pure propane dehydrogenation with 99% propylene selectivity and propane conversions close to the thermodynamic equilibrium value at 550°C. Our catalyst also operated stably at 600°C, offering propane conversions of >60% and propylene selectivity of >95%.

Citations

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• Stable and selective catalysts for propane dehydrogenation operating at thermodynamic limit
• Propane to olefins tandem catalysis: a selective route towards light olefins production
• In situ formation of ZnOx species for efficient propane dehydrogenation

Related

• First-principles design of a single-atom–alloy propane dehydrogenation catalyst
• Subnanometer Bimetallic Platinum–Zinc Clusters in Zeolites for Propane Dehydrogenation
• Stable and selective catalysts for propane dehydrogenation operating at thermodynamic limit
• Single-atom Pt in intermetallics as an ultrastable and selective catalyst for propane dehydrogenation
• In situ formation of ZnOx species for efficient propane dehydrogenation