C2H6 Dehydrogenation on Pt-Based Catalysts: Fundamental Mechanistic Studies

Hypersonic aircrafts require substantial cooling of engine and other vehicle components due to the large amount of heat produced during the flight. Using metal-catalyzed endothermic reactions of fuel, such as dehydrogenation and cracking, is a plausible strategy to remove the excess heat produced. However, coke formation on the catalyst causes rapid deactivation and clogging of the system. In this study, a combined experimental and computational chemistry based modeling approach is implemented to investigate stability, activity and selectivity of supported Pt and Pt-alloy catalysts for ethane (a small alkane) dehydrogenation with the goal to minimize coke formation. Experimental reaction kinetics data and DFT derived parameters are combined to develop a mean-field microkinetic model for understanding the reaction mechanism and for helping develop improved alloy catalysts for this reaction.