Advanced nanostructured vanadium-based catalysts for oxidative dehydrogenations

Abstract: The project is focused on the synthesis and characterization of advanced nanoporous catalysts based on the vanadium oxide species supported on mesoporous silicas (with different structure and inner pore wall modifications) active and selective in the oxidative dehydrogenation of low chain alkanes such as ethane, propane, butanes to the corresponding alkenes. The special emphasis is focused to characterization of the catalysts prepared either by the direct targeted synthesis of the metalosilicates or by the post-synthetic modification of the support surface by the atomically dispersed vanadium oxide species. The goal of the project is to increase the understanding of the structure of surface vanadium complexes and their role in the activation of the individual low alkane molecule. Based on this new insight suggestion of the high active and selective catalyst for the investigated reaction will be identified.