A mini review on aromatization of n-alkanes

Abstract

The catalytic aromatization of n-alkanes is an important process in the chemical industry, especially for the production of value-added aromatics from the abundant and unreactive small alkanes. This mini review summarizes the recent progress on the development of catalysts for the aromatization of n-alkanes and the mechanistic studies. The effects of various catalysts (e.g. shape selective zeolites and noble metals) and reactant compositions on the aromatization performance are discussed to shed light on the rational design of novel heterogeneous catalysts.