Amorphous porous MxTi mixed oxides as catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene

The properties of different metal‐oxide‐doped porous titanium oxides as catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene were investigated. Amorphous porous mixed oxides based on the amorphous titania matrix with selected metal ion centers as active sites have been prepared by an acid‐catalyzed sol–gel method. The dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene was studied in a continuous gas phase flow reactor under different reaction temperatures at ambient pressure. Among the 23 catalysts studied the amorphous porous AM‐Cr5Ti mixed oxide is the most promising catalyst. At 350 °C a 75% selectivity to styrene at a 29% conversion of ethylbenzene was obtained. BET, HRTEM, XRD, GC, MS, TGA and optical microscopy were employed to characterize the fresh and used AM‐Cr5Ti catalyst.