Oxidative dehydrogenation of propane by molecular chlorine

Abstract The gas-phase oxidative dehydrogenation of propane by molecular chlorine was studied in a flow reactor with a fixed catalyst bed using a series of ruthenium–titania catalysts at temperatures between 150 and 450 °C. It was found that Ru/TiO 2 catalyst prepared by the incipient wetness impregnation of titania with an aqueous hydrochloric acid solution of K 4 [Ru 2 OCl 10 ] revealed the highest catalytic activity. The selectivity toward propylene reached 95% at the propane conversion of 50% and the complete conversion of chlorine at 400 °C. Propane consumption turnover frequency was 45 10 −3  s −1 which is comparable with the highest known values obtained at the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane. Diffuse reflectance UV–vis spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study showed that ruthenium oxychloride was the active component of the catalyst.