Recent Advances in Selective Propylene Oxidation over Bismuth Molybdate Based Catalysts: Synthetic, Spectroscopic, and Theoretical Approaches

5 years ago

Recent Advances in Selective Propylene Oxidation over Bismuth Molybdate Based Catalysts: Synthetic, Spectroscopic, and Theoretical Approaches

Wolfgang Kleist, Paul Sprenger, Jan-Dierk Grunwaldt

The selective oxidation of propylene to acrolein is an important reaction in the chemical industry which has been extensively studied over the last few decades. Today, spectroscopic, computational, and synthetic approaches allow a renewed view of this established and well-understood catalytic process at a fundamental level. Consequently, a revised mechanistic pathway for the selective propylene oxidation over bismuth molybdates has been suggested recently. Furthermore, studies concerning the local interaction of specific surface entities as well as concepts from semiconductor science have provided valuable information to describe the operation mode of oxidation catalysts. New synthetic methods can be used not only to tune the specific surface area and surface species of a catalyst but also to give direct access to distinct metal oxide phases or specific crystalline phases with a synergetic interplay on the nanoscale. Since complex multicomponent systems, which exhibit both higher selectivity and activity in comparison to pure bismuth molybdates, are used for industrial applications, it is important to transfer the research concepts from such model systems to those more complex systems. This also involves operando characterization techniques on multiple length scales. Recent research activities shine a renewed light on this well-studied reaction, which therefore may become one of the drivers in selective oxidation catalysis to apply and further establish new tools that have been developed in theory, modeling, synthesis, and operando spectroscopy.

Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.7b01149

DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.7b01149