Sajo P. Naik, and Julio B Fernandes

Department of chemistry and Julio B. Fernandes Department of Chemistry, Goa University, Talegao Plateau, 

The present investigation describes synthesis of an active zinc oxide through various precursor routes and evaluation of their catalytic activity towards decomposition of propan-2-ol, in relation to catalyst structure. The zinc oxide prepared by different methods are characterised by chemical analysis. X-ray diffraction, surface area and scanning electron 

Considerable attention has been given towards understanding of structure - activity relationship of zinc oxides vis -a- vis the method of preparation [1-2], 

Zinc oxides have diverse applications in various industrial [3] and other types of processes[4-5]. It is essentially a dhydrogenating catalyst on which dehydration can also occur. The catalytic activity of zinc oxide is shown to be correlated to catalyst structure [6], although it is also reported that ZnO catalyst is structure insensitive [2], implying that every surface of exposed zinc oxide is equally active. The ZnO structure is shown to correspond to expanded hexagonal close packing with zinc ions filling half the tetrahedral holes[l], Akhter et al. [7] have identified three natural faces of zinc oxide crystals. 

Zinc polar plane [0001] where zinc ions are more outwardly positioned than oxygen ions oxygen polar plane [0001], where ions are more outwardly positioned than zinc ions, and the non polar prismatic plane [1010], where both zinc and oxygen ions are on the same plane. They have reported that catalytic decomposition of propan-2-ol was highest on [0001] polar surface of zinc oxide. It is further reported that catalyst morphology and activity is influenced by zinc oxide precursors [8]. 

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