Batch and continuous synthesis of well‐defined Pt/Al2O3 catalysts for the dehydrogenation of homocyclic LOHCs

The controlled synthesis of supported Pt nanoparticles with well-defined sizes in the range
from 1.9 to 6.0 nm and their application in the dehydrogenation of cyclic liquid organic
hydrogen carrier (LOHC) molecules are demonstrated. For this purpose, a colloidal approach
with a stabilized Pt precursor solution including chemical reduction with aqueous solutions of
sodium borohydride (NaBH4) is used. Various synthesis parameters are varied and their effects
on the properties of the Pt nanoparticles are studied. Additionally, the nanoparticles were
supported on Al2O3 powder and the general suitability of the catalysts for the dehydrogenation
of the LOHC perhydro benzyltoluene (H12-BT) is demonstrated. The synthesis is then
transferred from powder to shaped supports. Moreover, upscaling of the synthesis procedure
to 50 g of well-defined catalyst is realized without significant deviations in nanoparticle size
but at the expense of a certain activity loss. Finally, a continuous synthesis of Pt/Al2O3 catalysts
is implemented using a microfluidic reactor. The small-scale, large-scale, and continuous
synthesis routes enable the preparation of defined catalysts resulting in a comparable Pt-based
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productivity in the dehydrogenation of H12-BT.