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Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Novel Techniques for Observing Structural Dynamics of Photoresponsive Liquid Crystals
Published on: May 29, 2018
Chemically induced fast solid-state transitions of omega-VOPO4 in vanadium phosphate catalysts
Marco Conte1, Gerolamo Budroni, Jonathan K Bartley
1School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Main Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK.
Abstract:
Vanadium phosphates are important catalysts for the oxidation of alkanes, and commercial catalysts comprise a complex range of V4+ and V5+ phosphates. We used three complementary in situ characterization methodologies-powder x-ray diffraction and laser Raman and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopies-to show that the metastable phase omega-VOPO4 is very sensitive to many of the reactants and products of butane oxidation. A rapid transformation from omega-VOPO4 to delta-VOPO4 occurs on exposure to butane at the reaction temperature, and hence the metastable omega-VOPO4 may play a role in the formation of commercial catalysts.
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