Design of Catalyst Supports

In the oxidation of methane over palladium catalysts, as studied by Muto et al. [50], the activity of the supported catalysts decreased in the order  

However, the reverse order was observed for platinum catalysts also for the oxidation of methane [51]. The acidic properties of the support are of prime importance, with solid superacids showing high activity at relatively low temperatures [49]. Ishikawa and co-workers have found that in the oxidation of 

Pt/Si02 Pt/AhOa - Pt/Ti02 - Pt/Ce02 Pt/ ZrOz Pt/La203 

With the exception of silica, this correlates well to the order of acid strength of the catalyst  

The type of support influences the metal dispersion also, which may account for the high activity of silica, and the very low activity of lanthana. 

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