Dehydrogenation of propane to propylene over CrOy-CeO2-K2O/γ-Al2O3 catalysts: Effect of cerium content

•CrOy(17.5 wt.%)-CeO2(X wt.%)-K2O(2 wt.%)/γ-Al2O3 catalysts were prepared.•Dehydrogenation of propane to propylene was performed without external oxygen source.•Oxygen capacity increased with increasing Ce4 +/(Ce3 + + Ce4 +) ratio of the catalyst.•Initial yield for propylene increased with increasing oxygen capacity of the catalyst.

A series of CrOy(17.5 wt.%)-CeO2(X wt.%)-K2O(2 wt.%)/γ-Al2O3 catalysts (denoted as 17.5Cr-XCe-2K/Al) were prepared by a spray drying method and a subsequent incipient wetness impregnation method with a variation of cerium content (X, wt.%), and they were applied to the dehydrogenation of propane to propylene. It was revealed that the oxidation state of cerium species was closely related to the oxygen capacity (the amount of lattice oxygen) of the catalyst. The oxygen capacity served as a crucial factor in determining the catalytic performance in the reaction. Initial yield for propylene increased with increasing oxygen capacity of 17.5Cr-XCe-2K/Al catalysts.

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