Facilitating the reduction of V–O bonds on VO(x)/ZrO(2) catalysts for non-oxidative propane dehydrogenation

Supported vanadium oxide is a promising catalyst in propane dehydrogenation due to its competitive performance and low cost. Nevertheless, it remains a grand challenge to understand the structure–performance correlation due to the structural complexity of VO(x)-based catalysts in a reduced state. This paper describes the structure and catalytic properties of the VO(x)/ZrO(2) catalyst. When using ZrO(2) as the support, the catalyst shows six times higher turnover frequency (TOF) than using commercial γ-Al(2)O(3). Combining H(2)-temperature programmed reduction, in situ Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and theoretical studies, we find that the interaction between VO(x) and ZrO(2) can facilitate the reduction of V–O bonds, including V[double bond, length as m-dash]O, V–O–V and V–O–Zr. The promoting effect could be attributed to the formation of low coordinated V species in VO(x)/ZrO(2) which is more active in C–H activation. Our work provides a new insight into understanding the structure–performance correlation in VO(x)-based catalysts for non-oxidative propane dehydrogenation.