Elucidation of the Reaction Mechanism of Catalytic Reaction Coupling of Ethylbenzene Dehydrogenation with Nitrobenzene Hydrogenation over MoO3/TiO2 Catalysts

•The use of TiO2 support results in faster nitrobenzene adsorption.•Surface adsorbed hydrogen provides hydrogen sources to form aniline without the need for ethylbenzene.•Oxygen vacancies remove oxygen of nitrobenzene, reducing the amount of ethylbenzene needed.•Traditional stoichiometry is only valid when surface adsorbed hydrogen and oxygen vacancies are no longer in abundance.