The influence of plasma chemical treatment of a platinum catalyst on its activity in the dehydrogenation of cyclohexane

The influence of plasma chemical treatments on the catalytic activity of 0.64 wt % Pt/SiO2 and 1.0 wt % Pt/SiO2 platinum catalysts in the dehydrogenation of cyclohexane was studied. The state of the surface of the catalysts was examined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Temperature hysteresis caused by the formation of active carbon was observed in flow experiments. It was shown that the reaction on the initial catalysts occurred on neutral and positively charged Pt particles, and that the active centers contained carbon. After catalyst treatment with a high-frequency plasma in H2, its activity increased by many times because of the formation of a large number of low-activity centers on positively charged platinum particles also containing carbon. Glow discharge plasma in Ar sharply decreased catalytic activity, and the reaction then predominantly occurred on centers localized on neutral Pt particles, whereas centers on positive Pt particles were blocked. The state of the substrate (silica gel) did not change under the action of plasmas of both kinds. © 2009 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.