Mass Spectrometric Studies of Selective Oxidation of n-Butane over a Vanadium Phosphorus Oxide Catalyst

The selective oxidation of n-butane to maleic anhydride (MA) on a vanadium-phosphorus oxide (VPO) catalyst was studied using on-line gas-chromatography combined with mass spectrometry(GC-MS) and transient response technique. The reaction intermediates, buterie and furan, were found in the reaction effluent under near industrial feed condition (3% butane+15%O2), while dihydrofuran was detected at high butane concentration (12% butane, 5%O2). Some intermediates of MA decomposition were also identified. Detection of these intermediates shows that the vanadium phosphorus oxides are able to dehydrogenate butane to butene, and butene further to form MA. Based on these observations, a modified scheme of reaction network is proposed. The transient experiments show that butane in the gas phase may directly react with oxygen both on the surface and from the metal oxide lattice, without a proceeding adsorption step. Gas phase oxygen can be adsorbed and transformed to surface lattice oxygen but it can not participate in selective oxidation. Adsorbed oxygen leads to deep oxidation, while lattice oxygen leads to selective oxidation.

Progress of vanadium phosphorous oxide catalyst for n-butane selective oxidation

The utilization of lighter alkanes into useful chemical products is essential for modern chemistry and reducing the CO_(2)emission.Particularly,n-butane has gained special attention across the globe due to the abundant production of maleic anhydride(MA).Vanadium phosphorous oxide(VPO)is the most effective catalyst for selective oxidation of n-butane to MA so far.Interestingly,the VPO complex exists in more or less fifteen different structures,each one having distinct phase composition and exclusive surface morphology and physiochemical properties such as valence state,lattice oxygen,acidity etc.,which relies on precursor preparation method and the activation conditions of catalysts.The catalytic performance of VPO catalyst is improved by adding different promoters or co-catalyst such as various metals dopants,or either introducing template or structural-directing agents.Meanwhile,new preparation strategies such as electrospinning,ball milling,hydrothermal,barothermal,ultrasound,microwave irradiation,calcination,sol-gel method and solvothermal synthesis are also employed for introducing improvement in catalytic performance.Research in above-mentioned different aspects will be ascribed in current review in addition to summarizing overall catalysis activity and final yield.To analyze the performance of the catalytic precursor,the reaction mechanism and reaction kinetics both are discussed in this review to help clarify the key issues such as strong exothermic reaction,phosphorus supplement,water supplement,deactivation,and air/n-butane pretreatment etc.related to the various industrial applications of VPO.