The Effect of Sulphate Doping on Nanosized TiO₂ and MoO_<i>x</i>/TiO₂ Catalysts in Cyclohexane Photooxidative Dehydrogenation

Abstract

The effect of sulphate doping of titania in promoting activity and selectivity of MoO x /TiO 2 catalysts for the cyclohexane photooxidative dehydrogenation has been investigated in a gas‐solid fluidized bed reactor. Sulphate and/or molybdate‐modified titania catalysts were prepared by incipient wet impregnation of nanosized (5–10 nm crystallite size) samples. At 60% of titania surface coverage by MoO x , sulphate surface density was obtained up to 19 μ mol/m 2 without formation of MoO 3 . The catalysts were characterized by N 2 adsorption‐desorption at −196 ∘ C, micro‐Raman and UV‐visible reflectance spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis coupled with mass spectroscopy (TG‐MS), and mass titration. Unsulphated and sulphated titania are both active in cyclohexane total oxidation, but sulphate doping of titania has a detrimental effect on the reaction rate. On Mo‐based catalysts, polymolybdate species enabled sulphated titania to convert cyclohexane to benzene (99% selectivity) and cyclohexene, reducing at zero the formation of CO 2 . Cyclohexane conversion to benzene is almost linearly dependent on sulphate surface density, resulting in enhanced yield to benzene. The enhanced photooxidative dehydrogenation activity and benzene yield by sulphate doping could be attributed to the increase of surface acidity and, as a consequence, of cyclohexane adsorption.