Selective oxidation of toluene using surface-modified vanadium oxide nanobelts

Vanadium oxide nanobelts were synthesized using a sonochemical-hydrothermal method. Hexadecylphosphonic acid (HDPA) was introduced onto the surfaces of the nanobelts and bulk vanadium oxide to tune their catalytic properties; these properties were tested using gas-phase oxidation of toluene. The catalytic activity of the vanadium oxide nanobelts was higher than that of the bulk oxide as a result of the higher lattice oxygen activity of the nanobelts. Doping with HDPA, tuning the lattice oxygen activity, and blocking unselective sites led to both higher activity and selectivities for benzaldehyde and benzoic acid on nanobelt-like vanadium oxides, whereas led to lower activity but higher selectivities for benzaldehyde and benzoic acid on bulk vanadium oxides.

Graphical abstractVanadium oxide nanobelts are more active, but less selective, in toluene oxidation than bulk vanadium oxide is. Significant modification of the selective oxidation of toluene on vanadium oxide nanobelts is achieved by doping with hexadecylphosphonic acid.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide