The double tuning effect of TiO2 on Pt catalyzed dehydrogenation of methylcyclohexane

Abstract Dehydrogenation of methylcyclohexane (MCH) is conceived as a key reaction for the hydrogen economy. In this study, TiO2-Al2O3 supports with different TiO2 loading are prepared by vapor deposition on γ- Al2O3, which are further used to prepare Pt/TiO2-Al2O3 catalysts by Pt impregnation for MCH dehydrogenation reaction. TiO2 modification of γ-Al2O3 reduces the density of weak acid sites, promotes the electron density on Pt and enhances the H spillover on Pt, leading to enhanced dehydrogenation activity. The catalyst using the 10 wt% TiO2 modified γ-Al2O3 substrate has the smallest Pt particle size and the highest methylcyclohexane conversion. This work, therefore, provides a potentially generalizable approach to enhance MCH dehydrogenation via support engineering.