Structural analysis of manganese oxides supported on SiO2 for benzene oxidation with ozone

• Effect of manganese precursors and manganese loading on the manganese oxide structures was investigated.
• The use of manganese nitrate and acetate resulted in highly dispersed manganese oxides and aggregated manganese oxides on SiO2, respectively.
• Highly dispersed manganese oxides exhibited higher activities for benzene oxidation with ozone than aggregated manganese oxides.
• Product distribution and efficiency for ozone utilization were almost independent of manganese oxide structures and loadings.

Catalytic oxidation of benzene with ozone was carried out over SiO2-supported manganese oxides (Mn/SiO2) prepared by impregnation methods using two kinds of manganese precursors, manganese nitrate and acetate. The structure of manganese oxides were characterized by X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption measurements and effects of the manganese oxide structures on their catalytic properties were investigated. EXAFS studies revealed that by using manganese nitrate precursor in catalyst preparation, aggregated manganese oxides Mn2O3 were formed, whereas highly dispersed manganese oxides were formed when manganese acetate precursor was used. In both cases, the structures were not strongly affected by the manganese loading levels. The average oxidation state estimated form the absorption edge in the XANES region was also almost unchanged by changing the manganese loading for both catalysts. The catalytic activities of Mn/SiO2 for benzene oxidation with ozone at 343 K were much higher for the catalysts prepared from manganese acetate precursors than those prepared from manganese nitrate precursor at any given manganese loading levels, indicating that highly dispersed manganese oxides on SiO2 exhibited much higher activities for the reaction than the aggregated manganese oxides on SiO2. The product distribution and the efficiency for ozone utilization were not so much affected by the manganese oxide structures.

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