Processes for hydrogenating toluene to methylcyclohexane (MCH) and dehydrogenating MCH to toluene with minimal to no by-products, thereby ensuring minimal loss of hydrogen are described. MCH acts as a liquid organic hydrogen carrier, and it can be transferred in storage vessels and/or pipelines for several thousands of miles to the final destination with very minimal to no degradation.

A process for converting naphtha to light olefins comprises contacting a naphtha stream with a zeolitic catalyst to produce a light paraffin stream at conditions which dehydrogenate the naphtha to olefins, interconvert the olefins to lighter olefins and hydrogenate the lighter olefins to produce a light paraffin stream comprising ethane and propane. The catalyst may comprise a zeolite and a metal.

A method for producing propylene (C.sub.3H.sub.8) via oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of propane includes introducing a propane-containing feed gas stream into a reactor containing an alumina-supported Ga.sub.2O.sub.3/La.sub.2O.sub.3 catalyst comprising Ga.sub.2O.sub.3 particles at least partially disposed on surfaces of a matrix comprising rough and irregular-sized La.sub.2O.sub.3 and alumina particles; passing the propane-containing feed gas stream through the reactor in contact with the alumina supported Ga.sub.2O.sub.3/La.sub.2O.sub.3 catalyst at a temperature of 500 to 600 C. to convert at least a portion of the propane to propylene (C.sub.3H.sub.6) and produce a propylene-containing gas stream leaving the reactor; and separating the propylene from the propylene-containing gas stream. The method has a propane conversion of up to 95% based on an initial weight of the propane in the propane-containing feed gas stream, and a propylene yield of up to 60% based on the propane conversion.

The present invention provides novel redox catalysts and processes using the redox catalyst for the oxidative dehydrogenation of alkylaromatics. The catalyst enables the dehydrogenation reaction to produce an alkenylaromatic and hydrogen, the selective hydrogen combustion reaction of lattice oxygen with the hydrogen to produce steam, and carbon monoxide/dioxide (CO.sub.x) management by mitigating CO.sub.x production, capturing the COx, and/or or otherwise providing CO.sub.x resistance.

Shaped catalyst compositions and methods for making and using the shaped catalyst compositions are provided. In an exemplary a catalyst active phase includes a MoVTeTaOx catalyst. The composition also includes a support phase, wherein the support phase includes fumed silica, and wherein the catalyst active phase and support phase form a heterogeneous mixture.

Disclosed is a method of preparing propylene including the step of irradiating propane in the presence of a catalyst containing a decatungstate salt and a co-catalyst, in which the co-catalyst has cobalt or nickel. Also provided are catalysts and methods of dehydrogenating alkanes.

A catalyst and methods for making the catalyst are provided. An exemplary catalyst includes the formula: Mo.sub.aV.sub.bTe.sub.c-Ta.sub.dO.sub.x. In this formula, a is 1.0, b is about 0.01 to about 0.3, c is about 0.01 to about 0.09, d is about 0.01 to about 0.05, and x is the number of oxygen atoms necessary to render the catalyst electronically neutral.

A method for making light olefins by dehydrogenation may include operating a catalytic dehydrogenation process, monitoring a composition of a combustion gas in the combustor to detect a concentration of one or more hydrocarbons, and selectively adding a combustion additive with the catalyst when the combustion gas comprises one or more hydrocarbons in an amount greater than 5% of a lower flammability level of the combustion gas at a temperature and pressure of the combustor. The combustion additive may comprise from 0.1 wt. % to 10 wt. % of gallium, from 100 parts per million by weight (ppmw) to 10,000 ppmw of manganese, from 0 ppmw to 100 ppmw of noble metals, and at least 85 wt. % support. In other embodiments, the combustion additive may comprise from 0.1 wt. % to 10 wt. % of chromium, from 0 ppmw to 100 ppmw of gallium and noble metals, and at least 85 wt. % support.

A composite photocatalyst, comprising V.sub.2C@V.sub.2O.sub.5/TiO.sub.2, is disclosed herein. Additionally, a process for producing this composite, particularly V.sub.2C@V.sub.2O.sub.5/TiO.sub.2, involves the steps of preparing V.sub.2C@V.sub.2O.sub.5/TiO.sub.2 composite; grinding the V.sub.2C@V.sub.2O.sub.5/TiO.sub.2 composite; and calcining the ground product to obtain the composite photocatalyst V.sub.2C@V.sub.2O.sub.5/TiO.sub.2. Furthermore, the disclosure encompasses utilizing the composite photocatalyst in a CO.sub.2 reduction process, wherein the photocatalyst is irradiated in a photoreactor system.

A method for producing propylene (C.sub.3H.sub.8) via oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of propane includes introducing a propane-containing feed gas stream into a reactor containing an alumina-supported Ga.sub.2O.sub.3/La.sub.2O.sub.3 catalyst comprising Ga.sub.2O.sub.3 particles at least partially disposed on surfaces of a matrix comprising rough and irregular-sized La.sub.2O.sub.3 and alumina particles; passing the propane-containing feed gas stream through the reactor in contact with the alumina supported Ga.sub.2O.sub.3/La.sub.2O.sub.3 catalyst at a temperature of 500 to 600 C. to convert at least a portion of the propane to propylene (C.sub.3H.sub.6) and produce a propylene-containing gas stream leaving the reactor; and separating the propylene from the propylene-containing gas stream. The method has a propane conversion of up to 95% based on an initial weight of the propane in the propane-containing feed gas stream, and a propylene yield of up to 60% based on the propane conversion.