Nonmetallic boron nitride embedded graphitic carbon catalyst for oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene?

Catalysis Science & Technology Pub Date: 2020-01-24 DOI: 10.1039/C9CY02342A

Abstract

Oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene featured with a non-equilibrium-limit is an alternative to the direct dehydrogenation process, but often exhibits low styrene selectivity caused by deep-oxidation over metal oxide catalysts. Herein, we report a nonmetallic BN embedded graphitic carbon catalyst which was synthesized by a one-step co-pyrolysis method using boric acid, urea and ammonium iron citrate as the reactants. The obtained catalyst exhibits a high styrene selectivity of 94%. The existence of abundant carbonyl groups and BO species could correspondingly contribute more reaction sites and extra oxygen adsorption sites. A higher styrene formation rate of 5.8 mmol gcat?1 h?1 is thus achieved for our BN embedded graphitic carbon catalyst, whereas this value is 3.4 mmol gcat?1 h?1 for sole carbon nanotubes and 0.2 mmol gcat?1 h?1 for BN. Such promoted reactivity for oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene is derived from the synergetic and collaborative effect of the nonmetallic BN and graphitic carbon catalyst.

Graphical abstract: Nonmetallic boron nitride embedded graphitic carbon catalyst for oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene
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