Selective oxidation of propylene to acrolein over supported V 2O 5/Nb 2O 5 catalysts: An in situ Raman, IR, TPSR and kinetic study

Abstract

The vapor-phase selective oxidation of propylene (H 2C CHCH 3) to acrolein (H 2C CHCHO) was investigated over supported V 2O 5/Nb 2O 5 catalysts. The catalysts were synthesized by incipient wetness impregnation of V-isopropoxide/isopropanol solutions and calcination at 450 °C. The catalytic active vanadia component was shown by in situ Raman spectroscopy to be 100% dispersed as surface VO x species on the Nb 2O 5 support in the sub-monolayer region (<8.4 V/nm 2). Surface allyl species (H 2C CHCH 2*) were observed with in situ FT-IR to be the most abundant reaction intermediates. The acrolein formation kinetics and selectivity were strongly dependent on the surface VO x coverage. Two surface VO x sites were found to participate in the selective oxidation of propylene to acrolein. The reaction kinetics followed a Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanism with first-order in propylene and half-order in O 2 partial pressures. C 3H 6-TPSR spectroscopy studies also revealed that the lattice oxygen from the catalyst was not capable of selectively oxidizing propylene to acrolein and that the presence of gas phase molecular O 2 was critical for maintaining the surface VO x species in the fully oxidized state. The catalytic active site for this selective oxidation reaction involves the bridging V O Nb support bond.