Title
B‐MWW Zeolite: The Case Against Single‐Site Catalysis
Publication Date
2-5-2020
Department
Ames Laboratory; Chemistry
Campus Units
Ames Laboratory, Chemistry
OSTI ID+
1602080
Report Number
IS-J 10172
DOI
10.1002/anie.201914696
Journal Title
Angewandte Chemie International Edition
Abstract
Boron‐containing materials have recently been identified as highly selective catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of alkanes to olefins. It has previously been demonstrated by several spectroscopic characterization techniques that the surface of these boron‐containing ODH catalysts oxidize and hydrolyze under reaction conditions, forming an amorphous B2(OH)2xO(3 – x) (x = 0 ‐ 3) layer. Yet, the precise nature of the active site(s) remains elusive. In this communication, we provide a detailed characterization of zeolite MCM‐22 isomorphously substituted with boron (B‐MWW). Using 11B solid‐state NMR spectroscopy, we show that the majority of boron species in B‐MWW exist as isolated BO3 units, fully incorporated into the zeolite framework. However, this material shows no catalytic activity for ODH of propane to propene. The catalytic inactivity of B‐MWW for ODH of propane falsifies the hypothesis that site‐isolated BO3 units are the active site in boron‐based catalysts. This observation is at odds with other traditionally studied catalysts like vanadium‐based catalysts and provides an important piece of the mechanistic puzzle.
DOE Contract Number(s)
SC0017918; AC02-07CH11358
Language
en
Publisher
Iowa State University Digital Repository, Ames IA (United States)
