Active component of supported vanadium catalysts in the selective oxidation of methanol

The structure of catalysts based on vanadium oxide supported on different oxides (SiO2, gamma-Al2O3, ZrO2, and TiO2) was investigated. Their catalytic properties in the selective oxidation of methanol in a temperature range of 100-250A degrees C were studied. It was shown that the nature of the support determines the structure of the oxide forms of vanadium. The supporting of vanadium on SiO2 and gamma-Al2O3 leads to the preferred formation of crystalline V2O5; the surface monomeric and polymeric forms of VO (x) are additionally formed on ZrO2 and TiO2. It was established that the crystalline V2O5 oxide is least active in the selective oxidation of methanol; the polymeric forms are more active than monomeric ones. The mechanism of the selective oxidation of methanol to dimethoxymethane and methyl formate on the vanadium oxide catalysts is considered.