Carbon-supported VPO catalysts with fibrous structure: A new family of catalysts for partial oxidation reactions

The present contribution describes the synthesis of a carbon supported VPO catalyst with a fibrous structure. The synthesis method is simple, low-cost, scalable and reproducible that allows the formation of the bulk mixed oxide (VO)2P2O7 (VPP) active phase on the carbon support material. The preparation does not require any special reducing thermal treatments due to the ability of the carbon support to stabilize the VPP active phase since this carbon-based support is stable under oxidizing conditions up to around 400oC allowing it to be used as for catalytic oxidation reactions. The stability of the carbon-supported VPP catalyst under reaction conditions was examined with in situ Raman under oxidizing/ H2 reducing cycles and n-butane oxidation conditions under both wet and dry conditions. These studies confirm the dynamic character of VPO phases, which interconvert under different conditions, and the stability of carbon-supported VPP phase under different environments. The novel carbon-supported catalyst exhibits an activity behavior like that observed for commercial catalysts that suggests a very promising catalytic material.