Pt–Sn/Al₂O₃ catalysts were prepared by the direct reduction method at temperatures from 450 to 900 °C, denoted as an SR series (SR450 to SR900 according to reduction temperature). Direct reduction was performed immediately after catalyst drying without a calcination step. The activity of SR catalysts and a conventionally prepared (Cal600) catalyst were compared to evaluate its effect on direct reduction. Among the SR catalysts, SR550 showed overall higher conversion of propane and propylene selectivity than Cal600. The nano-sized dispersion of metals on SR550 was verified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation. The phases of the bimetallic Pt–Sn alloys were examined by X-ray diffraction, TEM, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Two characteristic peaks of Pt₃Sn and PtSn alloys were observed in the XRD patterns, and these phases affected the catalytic performance. Moreover, EDS confirmed the formation of Pt₃Sn and PtSn alloys on the catalyst surface. In terms of catalytic activity, the Pt₃Sn alloy showed better performance than the PtSn alloy. Relationships between the intermetallic interactions and catalytic activity were investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Furthermore, qualitative analysis of coke formation was conducted after propane dehydrogenation using differential thermal analysis.

Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy shows that a Mott-Hubbard type metal-insulator transition occurs at the Rb adsorbed surface of the layered charge-density-wave compound $1T\mathrm{\text{−}}{\mathrm{TaS}}_2$. The transition is driven by adsorption induced modifications of the charge-density wave and of the interlayer coupling, leading to an increase of the on-site Coulomb correlation energy and a narrowing of the Ta $5d$ band perpendicular to the layers, respectively. The continuous rearrangement of spectral weight is measured live during the deposition process.

Compared with dehydrogenation in conventional petroleum refinery processes, relatively pure hydrogen can be produced by propane dehydrogenation (PDH) without innate contaminants like sulfur and metals. Among the existing catalysts for PDH, Pt catalysts are popular and are often used in conjunction with Sn as a co-catalyst. Coke formation is a major concern in PDH, where catalyst regeneration is typically achieved by periodic coke burning to achieve sustainable operation. In this study, Pt-Sn/Al₂O₃ catalysts were regenerated after coke burning in three stages: mixing the catalyst with liquid hydrochloric acid, drying, and calcining under air atmosphere. In this process, the optimum concentration of hydrochloric acid was found to be 35% w/w. HCl treatment was effective for enhancing redispersion of the metal catalysts and aiding the formation of the Pt₃Sn alloy, which is considered to be effective for PDH reaction. HCl treatment may provide oxychlorination-like conditions under the calcination atmosphere. The characteristics of the catalysts were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and CO chemisorption.