In heterogeneous catalysis, supports play a crucial role in modulating the geometric and electronic structure of the active metal phase for optimizing the catalytic performance. A γ-Al2O3 nanosheet that contains 27% pentacoordinate Al(3+) sites can nicely disperse and stabilize raft-like Pt-Sn clusters as a result of strong interactions between metal and support. Consequently, there are strong electronic interactions between the Pt and Sn atoms, resulting in an increase in the electron density of the Pt sites. When used in the propane dehydrogenation reaction, this catalyst displayed an excellent specific activity for propylene formation with >99% selectivity, and superior anti-coking and anti-sintering properties. Its exceptional ability to maintain the high activity and stability at ultrahigh space velocities further showed that the sheet construction of the catalyst facilitated the kinetic transfer process.

What prompted you to investigate this topic? The increasing worldwide availability of naturala nd shale gas has stimulated aq uick technical shift to catalytic dehydrogena-tion of propane to propylene (PDH). However,t his technology relies on Pt-or CrO x-basedc atalysts and suffers from thermo-dynamic limitations and rapid catalystd eactivation by coking and sintering. Oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of propane offers ap romising alternative to industrialized PDH process, but selectivity control foro lefins is difficult, because of deep-oxidation reactions over conventional metal oxide catalysts that produce as ubstantial amount of undesired CO 2 .H ence, we have dedicated our efforts to the development of at her-mally stable and metal-free ODH catalyst, which can selectively cleave the CÀHb ond while preventing CO 2 formation. As presented in this paper,e dge-hydroxylated boron nitride addresses these issues. What new scientific questions/problems doest his work raise? This work represents af undamental breakthrough in chemistry because non-metallic, inert boron nitride was transformed into ac hemically active and selectivec atalystf or propaneO DH. We have identified the BÀOH groups at the edges of BN as active sites forp ropane ODH. However, aw ell-defined reaction pathway remainsu nclear.F uture studies should focus on theoretical simulations and the captureo fr eaction intermediates to illustrate the reactionm echanism under real reaction conditions.

Conversion of light alkanes into industrial chemical olefins via oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) is a promising route because of favorable thermodynamic and kinetic characteristics, but encounters difficulties in selectivity control for olefins because of over-oxidation reactions that produce a substantial amount of undesired carbon oxides. Compared to widely-developed metal oxide-based catalysts, functionalized boron nitride has recently been shown as a competitive system in the ODH of light alkanes because of its more superior selectivity toward olefins as well as negligible formation of CO2. It is also characterized by high productivity to light olefins, remarkable catalyst stability, superior anti-oxidation ability, and excellent thermal conductivity. This feature article highlights the recent developments in applying boron nitride towards the ODH reaction of light alkanes. By correlating structural character with catalytic behavior, we expect to provide more insights into the catalytic nature of boron nitride-based materials in ODH reactions. Finally, we envisage perspective directions for boron-based ODH catalysts.