Preparation of highly dispersed and thermally stable nanosized cerium–hafnium solid solutions over silica surface: Structural and catalytic evaluation

A highly dispersed and thermally stable nanosized cerium–hafnium solid solution over silica support has been synthesized. The obtained catalyst exhibited a high specific surface area and superior redox as well as acid–base properties. To unveil dispersion and thermal stability, samples were thermally annealed at various temperatures from 773 to 1073 K and investigated by means of XRD, TEM, XPS, ISS, Raman spectroscopy and other techniques. Catalytic activity was evaluated for selective dehydration of 4-methylpentan-2-ol to 4-methylpent-1-ene in the vapor phase. The designed catalyst exhibited better activity and selectivity, and the observed catalytic properties were correlated with structural features.