Articles - Nano Progress

Abstract

Various transition metals; Cr, Mn, Fe and Co were substituted in cerium site in CeVO₄ by a simple pH controlled precipitation followed by the hydrothermal treatment and investigated for oxidative dehydrogenation of 1-butene (ODH1B) using oxygen as oxidant. Phyisco-chemical methods like Powder X-Ray Diffraction, SEM, TEM and X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy were employed to understand the structural, morphological and surface features of the catalyst. The formation of CeO₂ crystallites on the surface of CeVO₄ was evidenced by PXRD and Raman spectroscopy studies. The surface ratio of Ce⁴⁺/Ce³⁺ was calculated from core X-ray photoelectron spectra of pure CeVO₄ and with ‘Mn’ substitution. Catalytic activity towards ODH of 1-butene for all the transition metal substituted CeVO₄ were carried at optimized reaction conditions in which the ‘Mn’ substituted catalyst gave a better activity. Further activity studies were carried out to optimize the manganese loading and for the optimized catalyst composition 70% selectivity towards butadiene was achieved and the result was compared with Manganese impregnated CeVO₄.