Oxygen, adsorbed molybdenum

The oxygen vacancies are filled by molecular oxygen adsorbed and dissociated at the molybdenum atom to produce mobile oxygen ions. 

The partial oxidation of propylene occurs via a similar mechanism, although the surface structure of the bismuth-molybdenum oxide is much more complicated than in Fig. 9.17. As Fig. 9.18 shows, crystallographically different oxygen atoms play different roles. Bridging O atoms between Bi and Mo are believed to be responsible for C-H activation and H abstraction from the methyl group, after which the propylene adsorbs in the form of an allyl group (H2C=CH-CH2). This is most likely the rate-determining step of the mechanism. Terminal O atoms bound to Mo are considered to be those that insert in the hydrocarbon. Sites located on bismuth activate and dissociate the O2 which fills the vacancies left in the coordination of molybdenum after acrolein desorption. 

Similar to molybdenum oxide catalyst the capability to emit singlet oxygen is inherent to Si02 doped by Cr ions as well. Similar to the case of vanadium oxide catalysts in this system the photogeneration occurs due to the triplet-triplet electron excitation transfer from a charge transfer complex to adsorbed oxygen. 

In this paper selectivity in partial oxidation reactions is related to the manner in which hydrocarbon intermediates (R) are bound to surface metal centers on oxides. When the bonding is through oxygen atoms (M-O-R) selective oxidation products are favored, and when the bonding is directly between metal and hydrocarbon (M-R), total oxidation is preferred. Results are presented for two redox systems ethane oxidation on supported vanadium oxide and propylene oxidation on supported molybdenum oxide. The catalysts and adsorbates are stuped by laser Raman spectroscopy, reaction kinetics, and temperature-programmed reaction. Thermochemical calculations confirm that the M-R intermediates are more stable than the M-O-R intermediates. The longer surface residence time of the M-R complexes, coupled to their lack of ready decomposition pathways, is responsible for their total oxidation. 

In the investigation of hydrocarbon partial oxidation reactions the study of the factors that determine selectivity has been of paramount importance. In the past thirty years considerable work relevant to this topic has been carried out. However, there is yet no unified hypothesis to address this problem. In this paper we suggest that the primary reaction pathway in redox type reactions on oxides is determined by the structure of the adsorbed intermediate. When the hydrocarbon intermediate (R) is bonded through a metal oxygen bond (M-O-R) partial oxidation products are likely, but when the intermediate is bonded through a direct metal-carbon bond (M-R) total oxidation products are favored. Results on two redox systems are presented ethane oxidation on vanadium oxide and propylene oxidation on molybdenum oxide. 

In the previous sections of this review, it has been shown that most effective catalysts for the selective oxidation of propylene contain at least two types of metal oxides—an amphoteric or low-valence oxide, such as bismuth, tin, iron, or cobalt, and an oxide of a high valence metal, such as molybdenum or antimony. Moreover, it has been suggested several times that each of these metal oxide components may give rise to an active site for example, propylene may adsorb on an active site associated with one of the metal oxide components, and oxygen may adsorb on an active site associated with another metal oxide component. This problem has been studied using spectroscopic, adsorption, and kinetic techniques. It now seems appropriate to consider some of these studies in detail, attempting to relate the solid structure of the catalyst to the active sites wherever possible. 

Firsova et al. (122) reported that the room temperature Mossbauer spectrum of supported tin molybdate, which had been aged in vacuo at 723 K, showed the presence of tetravalent tin. Only after exposure to oxygen at 473 K did the sample act as an adsorbent for propylene. It then gave a Mossbauer spectrum that showed the reduction of the tetravalent tin to the divalent state. Reduction without exposure to oxygen was achieved at 673 K but supported tin in the absence of molybdenum was not reduced. The results were interpreted in terms of the proposals (123) for the synergistic oxidation-reduction during catalysis. 

Adsorption on molybdenum disulphide is important because of its effect on lubrication, and Kalamazov and co-workers , studied the adsorption of oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen and water vapour. They found that after desorption at 900°C and 10 Pa (10 Torr) subsequent re-adsorption was at a lower level, and inferred that active adsorption sites had been destroyed by the vacuum and high temperature. They found that at 700°C adsorbed water vapour was dissociated, causing oxidation and the liberation of hydrogen. 

With molybdenum covered with adsorbed oxygen. Bedhead 149) found a maximum efficiency for removal of 0+ ions of about 10 ion/electron (at 90 ev) and a ratio of neutral atoms to 0+ ions of about 100 for a fully covered surface. 

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