ABSTRACT Hexagonal boron nitride (h‐BN) exhibits high selectivity toward olefins in oxidative dehydrogenation of propane (ODHP), however, the active sites (BO x species) for ODHP are easily leached under high‐temperature and water‐containing conditions, leading to catalyst deactivation. In this work, we developed a molten Mg strain engineering strategy to treat h‐BN via a compression–expansion process to induce lattice distortion, which resulted in significant electron enrichment across the BO x surface. Experiments combined with density functional theory calculations revealed that this electron enrichment surface not only enhanced activity for ODHP but also prevented the leaching of BO x by H 2 O during the ODHP. As a result, the Mg‐induced lattice‐distored h‐BN exhibited enhanced ODHP activity and hydrothermal stability, with a 17.2% higher propane conversion than the as‐synthesized BN and a stable propane conversion above 50% for 35 h without decline. This work tailors the h‐BN structure to adjust electron distribution and prevent active‐site leaching in high‐temperature and water‐containing environments, enhancing its industrial applicability.
Huang et al. (2026) studied this question.