Gas-phase selective oxidation of toluene on TiO2–sepiolite supported vanadium oxides: Influence of vanadium loading on conversion and product selectivities

Gas-phase selective oxidation of toluene has been carried out on vanadium oxide systems (5–20 wt.% of V2O5, equivalent to 0.4–1.7 theoretical monolayers) supported on TiO2–sepiolite (with titania loading around the theoretical monolayer, 12 wt.%) and on sepiolite. A study has been made on both the influence of vanadia loading and of the support on the catalytic behaviour of the supported vanadium systems. The reducibility by H2 TPR was also studied as well as the acid and basic/redox sites from the results of conversion of the 2-propanol test reaction of the solids. Benzaldehyde, benzoic acid and several coupling products were the main ones detected, attaining over 50% selectivity towards the benzaldehyde and benzoic acid products at a total conversion around 10%. The activity and selectivity to the selective products exhibited by vanadium systems supported on mixed support were superior to those exhibited by the systems supported on sepiolite and increased notably in both series with the increase in vanadium loading. The best catalytic behaviour exhibited by the vanadium systems supported on mixed support, which also exhibited the highest density of sites capable of being reduced (as well as their reducibility) and of those responsible for propanone formation, could be attributed not only to the different balance of the vanadia species existing in the two supports (monomeric + oligomeric/polymeric), but also to such other factors as the nature of the support and, concretely, its chemical composition.