Effect of the TiO2 Anatase/Rutile Ratio and Interface for the Oxidative Activation of n-Octane

TiO2 catalysts with a varied composition of anatase and rutile were prepared and tested for the oxidative activation of n-octane. The rutile phase of TiO2 was found to be inactive due to its relatively low reducibility and surface area. The anatase phase, however, was active. Also, a mixture of anatase and rutile, with an excess of rutile, favored the formation of octene isomers during the oxidative activation of alkane. The favorable activity of TiO2 with an excess of the rutile phase was attributed to its enhanced redox properties brought about by the disorder of the TiO2 lattice at the anatase rutile junction.