Phase-pure M1 MoVNbTeOx/TiO2 nanocomposite catalysts: high catalytic performance for oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane

Abstract

The catalytic performance of the phase-pure M1 MoVNbTeO_x catalyst is enhanced by introducing TiO₂ in oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane (ODHE). The space–time yield (STY) of the M1/TiO₂ composite catalyst increases significantly with increasing TiO₂ content (normalized to M1), in which the catalyst containing 40 wt% TiO₂ presents the best ethylene productivity with an enhancement of 76.3% compared to phase-pure M1 at 400 °C in the ODHE process. Meanwhile, the stability of the M1/TiO₂ catalysts is also demonstrated by the stable crystal structure and surface morphology of the used catalysts. The results of pulse reaction experiments further reveal that the introduction of TiO₂ enhances the reduction/re-oxidation rate of lattice oxygen species in the catalysts thus improving catalytic performance.