A Synthetic Chemistry Approach to Understanding the Relationship Between As-prepared, Steady-state, and Deactivated Single Site Catalysts

Over the past few years we have reported highly dispersed Zn, Co, Fe, Ga, and other ions on silica as very selective catalysts for nonoxidative propane dehydrogenation. We have used a variety of synthetic methods to prepare them, ranging from aqueous coordination and impregnation to organometallic precursors and vapor phase delivery. By using different metal precursors we can synthesize different species that are precatalysts or directly on the catalytic cycle. Studies of these relationships will be discussed as they relate to catalyst activation, steady-state catalysis, and catalyst deactivation. These insights are being used to design even more efficient catalysts for alkane transformations and other energy applications.