WPt/Al2O3 Catalyst for 18H-DBT Long-Period Dehydrogenation in a Fixed Bed Reactor at a Low Temperature

Perhydro-dibenzyltoluene (18H-DBT) possesses a high hydrogen storage capacity and is regarded as a promising liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC). The key to its application lies in long-period dehydrogenation with high conversion and less carbon deposition at a lower temperature. In this work, the WPt/Al2O3 catalyst was synthesized by a sol–gel method combined with a precursor pretreatment method for perhydro-dibenzyltoluene continuous dehydrogenation reaction in a fixed bed reactor. Compared to the unmodified Pt/Al2O3 catalyst, the WPt/Al2O3 catalyst could enable 18H-DBT continuous dehydrogenation at 250 °C, with the degree of dehydrogenation increasing from 80% to 90% and remaining stable even after 150 h. It is attributed to the unique structure of the Pt species on the WPt/Al2O3 catalyst, which exists in the form of cubic Pt nanoparticles and enhances the hydrogen spillover effect from Pt to tungsten oxides on the catalyst surface, improving the activity and stability.