Transition metal carbides for catalytic dehydrogenation of short alkanes

A method for dehydrogenating propane comprising:

• a) activating a catalyst by heating the catalyst in the presence of hydrogen gas to provide an activated catalyst, wherein the catalyst comprises:
• i) a MXene support represented by Formula (II):
• MO2TiC2Tx (II);
• wherein Tx is a surface functional group wherein x is 0-10;
• and
• ii) platinum metal, wherein atoms of the platinum metal occupy crystal lattice nodes at the basal plane of the MXene support, the atoms of the platinum metal are supported by a metallic bond to molybdenum atom of the MXene support, the platinum metal has one to five nanostructured layers of its atoms on the MXene support, and loading of the platinum metal on the MXene support is less than 5% w/w based on the weight of the catalyst;
• and
• b) contacting the activated catalyst and a mixture comprising propane and nitrogen gas at a temperature of at least about 350° C., for a period of time sufficient to dehydrogenate the propane;
• wherein the contacting is at a gas space velocity of about 50 cc/min to about 150 cc/min per 100 mg of catalyst, thereby non-oxidatively dehydrogenating propane to provide propylene.

A method for dehydrogenating ethane comprising:

• a) activating a catalyst by heating the catalyst in the presence of hydrogen gas to provide an activated catalyst, wherein the catalyst comprises:
• i) a MXene support represented by Formula (II):
• MO2TiC2Tx (II);
• wherein Tx is a surface functional group wherein x is 0-10;
• and
• ii) platinum metal, wherein atoms of the platinum metal occupy crystal lattice nodes at the basal plane of the MXene support, the atoms of the platinum metal are supported by a metallic bond to molybdenum atom of the MXene support, the platinum metal has one to five nanostructured layers of its atoms on the MXene support, and loading of the platinum metal on the MXene support is less than 5% w/w based on the weight of the catalyst;
• and
• b) contacting the activated catalyst and a mixture comprising ethane and nitrogen gas at a temperature of at least about 350° C., for a period of time sufficient to dehydrogenate the ethane;
• wherein the contacting is at a gas space velocity of about 50 cc/min to about 150 cc/min per 100 mg of catalyst, thereby non-oxidatively dehydrogenating ethane to provide ethylene.