Oxidehydrogenation of propane on MoO

The oxidative dehydrogenation of propane to propene has been studied on a MoO3/γAl2O3 catalyst as a function of temperature, and the results obtained are comparable to those reported in the literature on some vanadium based catalysts. Moreover, as the dehydrogenation reaction requires the abstraction of hydrogen species from the alkane, the hydrogen H* species content that the solid is able to store has been determined. Finally, according to the results obtained, a heterolytic dissociation of propane is proposed, on the active site : « O2- Mnn+ □ » (with □ : anionic vacancy) permitting the abstraction of a H- species and of a H+ species from the hydrocarbon, leading to the formation of the « OH- Mn+ H- » ensemble and of propene