In situ formation of ZnO species for efficient propane dehydrogenation.

Propane dehydrogenation (PDH) to propene is an important alternative to oil-based cracking processes, to produce this industrially important platform chemical. The commercial PDH technologies utilizing Cr-containing (refs. ) or Pt-containing (refs.

Oxide of lanthanoids can catalyse non-oxidative propane dehydrogenation: mechanistic concept and application potential of EuO- or GdO-based catalysts.

This paper demonstrates the potential of Eu2O3 and Gd2O3 as catalysts for non-oxidative propane dehydrogenation to propene. They reveal a higher activity than the state-of-the-art bare ZrO2-based catalysts due to the higher intrinsic activity of Gdcus or Eucus in comparison with that of Zrcus (cus = coordinatively unsaturated).