Sub-nanometer Alloyed Clusters Sustain High Productivity in Propane Dehydrogenation

Propane dehydrogenation (PDH) processes typically operate at low weight-hourly space velocities (WHSV) of around 10 h⁻¹ to ensure catalyst stability, which however limits propylene productivity to around 0.1 molC3H6·gcatalyst-1·h-1 or less. Here, we report well-controlled sub-nm alloyed PtSn clusters that can sustain propylene productivities about an order of magnitude better when operated at high propane WHSVs. At 165 h⁻¹, the catalyst achieved about 1 molC3H6·gcatalyst-1·h-1 for over 300 hours, with >99% propylene selectivity and a low deactivation rate of approximately 0.002 h⁻¹. Furthermore, the spent catalyst can be fully regenerated using simple air calcination. The clusters themselves have dynamic structures, which, along with their small size and complex coordination environment, allow Pt sites to access a broader range of electronic configurations. This is likely to provide the PDH reaction with a wider energy landscape to navigate, helping to surpass the activity-stability trade-offs in conventional catalysts.