Influence of hydrothermal synthesis temperature on the redox and oxygen mobility properties of manganese oxides in the catalytic oxidation of toluene

A series of MnO x samples synthesized by hydrothermal methods at different temperatures were investigated as catalysts for the oxidation of toluene. The optimum oxidation performance was achieved with the catalyst prepared at 120 °C (Mn-120), for which complete conversion of toluene was attained at 250 °C. The Mn-120 sample possessed the highest concentration of Mn 3+ and the highest initial H 2 consumption rate, which are indicative of abundant crystal defects and superior reducibility. In addition, Mn-120 exhibited excellent oxidation ability due to the abundance of lattice oxygen species and excellent oxygen mobility. Therefore, the superior catalytic performance of Mn-120 could be attributed mainly to its redox performance and abundant crystal defects, both of which are determined by the temperature of the hydrothermal synthesis of MnO x .