Non-oxidative ethane dehydrogenation reaction over molybdenum and chromium incorporated MgO encapsulated carbon-core catalysts in microwave reactor

Chromium and molybdenum incorporated MgO and MgO-C catalysts were synthesized for hydrogen production from a non-oxidative ethane dehydration reaction. Hydrogen production studies were carried out using a microwave-heated reactor system. The study investigated the effects of reaction temperature, type of active metal, and catalyst preparation method (physical mixture or core-shell structure) on hydrogen selectivity and ethane conversion during dehydrogenation reactions. The results showed that the optimal reaction temperature for the non-oxidative ethane dehydration reaction was 450 degrees C. Above this temperature, the selectivity of undesired byproducts increased. Catalysts containing molybdenum exhibited higher ethane conversion. Moreover, a comparison of MgO-C-supported catalysts with MgO-supported catalysts revealed that the core-shell catalysts exhibited superior ethane conversion. Notably, the 5Mo@MgO-C catalyst demonstrated exceptional catalytic activity, achieving a high ethane conversion rate of 72% along with excellent stability.