CONTROL OF THE EFFICIENCY OF LOW-PERCENTAGE PT-CU AL2O3 CATALYSTS IN THE ACTIVATION OF C-H AND C-C BONDS IN LIGHT ALKANES/

The influence of the conditions of thermal pretreatment of the Cu(NO3) (2)/Al2O3 system preceding the introduction of the active metal (Pt) o n the ability of Pt-Cu/Al2O3 catalysts to activate C-H and C-C bonds i n ethane and propane is studied. Treatment of Cu(NO3)(2)/Al2O3 in hydr ogen at 300 - 900 degrees C is shown to favor the formation of active catalysts that are capable of exclusively activating the C-H bonds in the ethane molecule (the selectivity of ethylene formation is 92 - 95% ). The oxidative thermal pretreatment (in air) of the modified carrier leads to catalysts that can predominantly activate the C-C bonds in t he ethane molecule (the selectivity of methane formation exceeds 60%).