Catalytically active sites titanium-containing zeolites

The ODH of propane over titanium and vanadium containing zeolites and nonzeolitic catalysts revealed that Ti-silicalite was the most active. The addition of water caused an increase in selectivity, probably due to a competitive adsorption on the active sites. The reaction is proposed to occur on the outer surface of the Ti-silicalite crystallites on Lewis acid sites, and a sulfation of the catalyst, which increases the acidity of these sites, results in a further increase of the catalytic activity. The maximum conversion obtained was 17% with a propene selectivity of up to 74% [65]. Comparison of propane oxidation and ammoxidation over Co-zeolites shows an increase in conversion and propene selectivity during ammoxidation. For a conversion of 14%, 40% propene selectivity was obtained with ammonia, whereas, at 10% conversion the propene selectivity was only 12% with oxygen. The increase in activity and selectivity can be due to the formation of basic sites via ammonia adsorption [38]. 

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