Discerning the Metal Doping Effect on Surface Redox and Acidic Properties in a MoVTeNbO for Propa(e)ne Oxidation

Adding a small quantity of K or Bi to a MoVTeNbO via impregnation with inorganic solutions modifies its surface acid and redox properties and its catalytic performance in propa(e)ne partial oxidation to acrylic acid (AA) without detriment to its pristine crystalline structure. Bi-doping encourages propane oxydehydrogenation to propene, thus enlarging the net production rate of AA up to 35% more. The easier propane activation/higher AA production over the Bi-doped catalyst is ascribed to its higher content of surface V leading to a larger amount of total V⁵⁺ species, the isolation site effect of NbO species on V, and its higher Lewis acidity. K-doping does not affect propane oxydehydrogenation to propene but mainly acts over propene once formed, also increasing AA to a similar extent as Bi-doping. Although K-doping lowers propene conversion, it is converted more selectively to acrylic acid owing to its reduced Brønsted acidity and the presence of more Mo⁶⁺ species, thereby favoring propene transformation via the π-allylic species route producing acrylic acid over that forming acetic acid and CO via acetone oxidation and that yielding directly CO .