Non-oxidative Dehydrogenation of Ethane to Ethylene over ZSM-5 Zeolite Supported Iron Catalysts

•Fe/ZSM-5 is superior over various ZSM-5 supported metal/oxide catalysts for EDH reaction.•ZSM-5 is a better support material for Fe catalyst in EDH reaction than γ-Al2O3.•Carburized Fe species on Fe/ZSM-5 are the active sites for EDH reaction.•Metallic Fe species are catalytic active for EDH reaction but not stable.•Weaker acidity and ethylene adsorption on Fe/ZSM-5 lead to higher ethylene selectivity compared with Fe/Al2O3.