The Pt-GaOx combination is widely investigated for catalyzing propane dehydrogenation (PDH), as its efficient site synergy compensates for the low selectivity associated with single Pt sites. However, these catalysts suffer from rapid deactivation under harsh reaction conditions due to the thermal migration and sintering of active sites, alongside irreversible structural degradation. To address these challenges, we developed mesoporous silica-confined Sm2O3 to stabilize the Pt-Sm2O3 and GaOx-Sm2O3 interfaces. Based on comprehensive characterization, the as-formed small Sm2O3 species play a crucial role in boosting the catalytic performance. Specifically, the confined Sm2O3 clusters intensify interactions with both Pt and GaOx within the mesopores, which suppresses the excessive aggregation of Pt-Ga alloys and stabilizes the active Gaδ+–H species. As a result, the Pt-Ga/Sm@SiO2 catalyst exhibits a low deactivation constant (0.007 h–1) and a high specific activity of 2.28 s–1 after 100 h of continuous operation at 550 °C, significantly outperforming its conventional Pt-Ga counterparts. This work thus provides a robust strategy for enhancing the durability of Pt-GaOx catalysts and advances their practical implementation in industrial PDH processes.
Zhao et al. (Thu,) studied this question.