Microwave-activated dehydrogenation of perhydro-N-ethylcarbazol over bimetallic Pd-M/TiO2 catalysts as the second stage of hydrogen storage in liquid substrates

Reversible catalytic hydrogenation dehydrogenation of aromatic and heterocyclic compounds is considered as a promising approach to hydrogen storage. While exploring the microwave-assisted catalytic processes, the Pd/TiO2 catalysts were shown to be most effective. The catalytic activity of the Pd/TiO2 system can be enhanced by introduction of a second metal after the formation of the supported Pd nanoparticles, with Pt and Ru acting as most efficient promoters. The studies of the catalytic behavior of the supported bimetallic Pd Ru/TiO2 and Pd Pt/TiO2 catalysts in perhydro-N-ethylcarbazole (H-NEC) dehydrogenation revealed that the catalytic activity under microwave activation is higher than that in a conventional thermal mode at the same reaction temperatures. Complete dehydrogenation occurred only under microwave activation, with a negligible by-product formation. This feature of the catalysts makes possible their application in the hydrogen storage systems based on the reversible hydrogenation-dehydrogenation cycles under microwave activation. (C) 2017 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.