Propane-Induced Pt/Al2O3 Surface Reconstruction for Catalytic Reforming Reaction of n-Heptane

Controlling product selectivity in platinum-based catalysts during hydrocarbon reforming is a critical challenge, with the main difficulty being the suppression of side reactions like hydrogenolysis. In this work, we report a facile and scalable in situ strategy that significantly enhances the yield of aromatics by activating Pt/Al2O3 catalyst in a propane atmosphere. We demonstrate that this method results in selective deposition of a functional carbon overlayer onto excessively active metal–support interface sites, thereby suppressing the hydrogenolysis pathway, the primary source of low-carbon byproducts. As a result, the selectivity for aromatics nearly doubled, increasing from 17% for the conventionally hydrogen-reduced catalyst to 32%. This work not only transforms carbon deposition from a deactivation factor into a tool for precisely tuning active sites but also provides a powerful strategy for developing highly efficient reforming catalysts.