Molybdena/alumina oxidized state

The individual techniques used to characterize molybdena catalysts are now considered. Table II presents a listing of articles concerning the characterization of molybdena catalysts. Unless otherwise specified, we implicitly refer to Mo and/or Co supported on an activated alumina, commonly y-AlaOs. Most work has been done on the calcined (oxidized) state of the catalyst because of ease of sample handling. Reduced and sulfided catalysts are more difficult to work with since for meaningful results, exposure of these samples to air or moisture should be rigorously avoided. Therefore, sample transfer or special in situ treatment facilities must be provided. 

Rather than survey all of the possible modifications that can be made to an alumina surface, we will focus on a subset involved in two different types of surface-catalyzed chemical reactions, namely, the partial oxidation of ethylene to ethylene oxide (EO) and hydrodesulfurization (HDS) processes. Both of these catalytic systems have functional points in common, in that alumina serves as a support (a-alumina for the EO process and 7-alumina for the HDS process) and alkali-metal salts serve as promoters for both reactions. To illustrate this commonality, this section will be divided into three parts (1) the adsorption of alkali-metal salts to 7-alumina, as reflected in the Rb and Cs solid-state NMR spectroscopy of these systems (2) the absorption of ethylene to silver supported on aluminas in the presence and absence of cesium salts, as followed by C NMR spectroscopy, and (3) the solid-state Mo NMR of fresh and reduced/ sulfided molybdena-alumina catalysts. 

Indeed, Lund and Dumesic (5-8) reported that the water-gas shift activity of an iron oxide catalyst is reduced by several orders of magnitude when supported on silica. Strong interactions between molybdena and alumina have been documented for the calcined states of hydrotreating catalysts (e.g., 9-11). Also, interaction is manifested in many mixed oxides by enhanced acidity, compared to the acidities of the pure component oxides (12-14). 

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