Effect of antimony doping on the catalytic behavior of Mo–V–Te–P mixed oxide catalysts in oxidation of isobutane

Small amount of antimony addition to a Mo–V–Te–P mixed oxide catalyst strongly affects its catalytic behavior. The antimony which probably enters into the lattice of TeMO (M = Mo, V and P) promotes the oxidative dehydrogenation and selective oxidation of isobutane to isobutylene and methacrolein, and suppresses the further oxidation of methacrolein to methacrylic acid and COx, leading the selectivity to methacrolein to a maximum at Sb/Mo atomic ratio = 0.15. However, further increasing Sb content will decrease isobutane conversion and methacrolein selectivity.