Synthesis, characterization and catalytic applications in propane dehydrogenation of ordered mesoporous alumina.

Alumina is the most frequently employed catalyst or catalytic support in the chemical industry. The catalytic performances of alumina-supported catalysts are largely dependent on the textural properties of the alumina supports. Therefore, any improvement of the alumina properties significant for their catalytic applications is extremely challenging. Ordered mesoporous aluminas with high thermal stability have been successfully prepared by a facile synthesis method. Using the ordered mesoporous aluminas as support, V/Ni-catalysts mesoporous materials also have been prepared by vacuum impregnation method and the coprecipitation method. The mesoporous structures are characterized by XRD, TEM, N2 adsorption -desorption and TG-DTA. Preliminary catalytic tests showed that the ordered mesoporous aluminas prepared in such a way exhibited superior performance in the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane to propylene when they were used as the supports for V and Ni catalysts.