Insights into the catalytic production of hydrogen from propane in the presence of oxygen: Cooperative presence of vanadium and gold catalysts

H2 and propylene can be obtained from propane and oxygen in defect using appropriate catalysts. Meanwhile propylene is formed from propane via oxidative or non-oxidative dehydrogenation, molecular hydrogen can be obtained from several reactions such as propane dehydrogenation, coke formation and water gas shift. It has been observed that a gold catalyst hardly activates propane and no H2 was detected, whereas using vanadium oxide a relatively high concentration of propylene and H2 was obtained. Interestingly, the simultaneous use of vanadium oxide and gold has meant a higher hydrogen production, higher in a 40% than that of the catalyst containing only vanadium oxide. This performance has been related to the capacity of gold to activate CO in the water gas shift reaction.