Application of rare earths and mesoporous materials in propane dehydrogenation

Propylene is a high value-added large-scale petrochemical product, and propane dehydrogenation (PDH), as a process for the direct production of propylene, has gained significant interest due to shale gas extraction and related industrial developments. However, it is still scientifically challenging to develop efficient multiphase catalysts for effective propane adsorption/activation, rapid product separation, and suppressed coking to ensure long-term stability. Mesoporous materials have excellent structural properties such as high specific surface area, uniform particle size, customizable porous structures and compositions, and some high-temperature-resistant branches (mesoporous SiO 2 , etc.) are well suited to serve as excellent carriers for thermal catalysis. Extensive efforts have been dedicated to modifying catalytic systems through elemental incorporation for enhanced propane dehydrogenation (PDH) performance. In this context, rare earth elements (REEs), characterized by their strategically abundant reserves in China and distinctive 4f electronic configurations, exhibit multifunctional potential across catalysis, optoelectronics, and magnetic material engineering—attributes rooted in their unique electron occupancy and lanthanide contraction effects. This review explores advances and interdisciplinary applications of propane dehydrogenation, mesoporous materials, and rare earths and presents prospects and challenges for their application in the development of catalysts for propane dehydrogenation.