Effects of Pre-Treatment of a Silica-Supported Gallium Oxide Catalyst with H2 on Its Catalytic Performance for Dehydrogenation of Propane

The pre-treatment of a silica-supported gallium oxide catalyst with H2 at 823 K increased the yield of aromatics and the selectivity to aromatics in the dehydrogenation of propane over the catalyst at 823 K. Gallium oxide in the catalyst was partially reduced with H2 at 823 K. NH3 desorption and DRIFTS studies on the gallium oxide catalyst suggest that the dehydrogenation of propane over a silica-supported gallium oxide catalyst would proceed in the following way: (1) the dehydrogenation of propane to produce propene would occur on Ga sites including Gaδ+–H sites and (2) the aromatization of propene to aromatics on Ga–O–H acid sites.