Molybdenum Oxide Constructed by {Mo

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Solid-State Chemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Molybdenum oxides possess unique electronic and structural properties, making them valuable in diverse applications.
• Lattice oxygen defects in molybdenum oxides are crucial for various functionalities but are challenging to introduce and control due to structural instability.
• Existing methods often lead to crystal structure changes, hindering the creation of stable, defect-rich molybdenum oxide materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a novel class of high-dimensionally structured molybdenum oxide (HDS-MoOx) based on stable pentagonal units ({Mo6O21}6-).
• To demonstrate the ability of HDS-MoOx to generate a substantial and controllable amount of lattice oxygen defects.
• To investigate the enhanced redox activity and catalytic performance of HDS-MoOx compared to conventional molybdenum oxides.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of a new high-dimensionally structured molybdenum oxide (HDS-MoOx) through the random assembly of {Mo6O21}6- pentagonal units.
• Characterization of the structural stability and defect generation capabilities of HDS-MoOx.
• Evaluation of the redox activity and catalytic performance of HDS-MoOx in gas-phase isopropanol oxidation, with comparisons to α-MoO3.

Main Results:

• HDS-MoOx was successfully synthesized, featuring a stable network constructed from {Mo6O21}6- pentagonal units.
• This stable structure allowed for the generation of significant and controllable lattice oxygen defects within the range of MoO2.64-MoO3.00.
• HDS-MoOx exhibited superior redox activity compared to α-MoO3 and effectively catalyzed the oxidation of isopropanol, producing oxidation products, whereas α-MoO3 did not.

Conclusions:

• The novel HDS-MoOx structure provides a stable platform for creating controllable lattice oxygen defects.
• HDS-MoOx demonstrates enhanced redox properties and catalytic potential, outperforming traditional molybdenum trioxide (α-MoO3).
• This work opens new avenues for designing advanced molybdenum oxide materials with tailored defect concentrations for catalytic and electronic applications.