Partial Oxidation of Propane to Acrylic Acid over Reduced Heteropolymolybdate Catalysts

Abstract

Abstract Propane was catalytically oxidized to acrylic acid and acetic acid with molecular oxygen at 360 °C over heteropolymolybdophosphoric acids which were treated with pyridine in the catalyst preparation. Under presently optimized reaction conditions 24% selectivity to acrylic acid and 15% to acetic acid were achieved at 12% conversion of propane. A reduced state of the catalyst generated by heat-treatment of the pyridine-treated heteropoly acid is important for the selectivities.