Single-Atom Fe Catalyst for Catalytic Ethane Dehydrogenation to Ethylene

The single atom catalysts (SACs) show unique catalytic performance in heterogeneous reactions owing to unsaturated coordination sites and high metal atom dispersion. Herein, a simple wet impregnation method was utilized to synthetize of Fe-Al2O3 catalysts. The Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that abundant OH group attached to the support (Al2O3) surface facilitating formation of isolated Fe single atom. High resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) confirmed the Fe single atom architecture. Fe-Al2O3 (4.5 wt %) performed enhanced stability and activity on ethane dehydrogenation reaction.