Mechanistic Understanding of the Highly Selective Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Ethane over Supported Molten Alkali Chloride Catalysts

Oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane is a promising way to selectively produce ethene. Novel supported alkali chloride catalysts show outstanding performances with selectivities up to 95%. We present a comprehensive mechanistic study to rationalize the efficient catalytic cycle, including steady state and transient kinetic measurements and in-situ characterization.