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VOx/Fe2O3 Shell-Core Catalysts for the Selective Oxidation of Methanol to Formaldehyde
Pip Hellier1,2, Peter P Wells1,3,4, Diego Gianolio4
11UK Catalysis Hub, Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Oxon OX11 0FA UK.
Abstract:
Efficient oxidation catalysts are important in many current industrial processes, including the selective oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde. Vanadium-containing catalysts have been shown to be effective selective oxidation catalysts for certain reactions, and research continues to examine their applicability to other reactions of interest. Several VOx/Fe2O3 shell-core catalysts with varying VOx coverage have been produced to investigate the stability of VOx monolayers and their selectivity for methanol oxidation. Catalyst formation proceeds via a clear progression of distinct surface species produced during catalyst calcination. At 300 °C the selective VOx overlayer has formed; by 500 °C a sandwich layer of FeVO4 arises between the VOx shell and the Fe2O3 core, inhibiting iron cation participation in the catalysis and enhancing catalyst selectivity. The resulting catalysts, comprising a shell-subshell-core system of VOx/FeVO4/Fe2O3, possess good catalytic activity and selectivity to formaldehyde.
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