Vanadium-metal(IV)phosphates as catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane

Cubic vanadium-exchanged Ti, Zr, and Sn-pyrophosphates were investigated as catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane. The catalytic activity is proportional to surface vanadium species, V/TiP catalyst providing the best performances due both to the good VO2+ exchange capacity and to the high stability. The very good ethylene selectivity, even at quite high conversion, was attributed to the great vanadium site isolation.