Understanding the Synthesis of Supported Vanadium Oxide Catalysts Using Chemical Grafting

The complexity of variables during incipient wetness impregnation synthesis of supported metal oxides precludes an in-depth understanding of the chemical reactions governing the formation of the dispersed oxide sites. This contribution describes the use of vapor phase deposition chemistry (also known as grafting) as a tool to systematically investigate the influence of isopropanol solvent on VO(Oⁱ Pr)₃ anchoring during synthesis of vanadium oxide on silica. The availability of anchoring sites on silica was found to depend not only on the pretreatment of the silica but also on the solvent present. H-bond donors can reduce the reactivity of isolated silanols whereas disruption of silanol nests by H-bond acceptors can turn unreactive H-bonded silanols into reactive anchoring sites. The model suggested here can inform improved syntheses with increased dispersion of metal oxides on silica.