Structure and reactivity of surface vanadium oxide species on oxide supports

Supported vanadium oxide catalysts, containing surface vanadia species on oxide supports, are extensively employed as catalysts for many hydrocarbon oxidation reactions. This paper discusses the current fundamental information available about the structure and reactivity of surface vanadia species on oxide supports: monolayer surface coverage, stability of the surface vanadia monolayer, oxidation state of the surface vanadia species, molecular structures of the surface vanadia species (as a function of environment and catalyst composition), acidity of the surface vanadia species and reactivity of the surface vanadia species. Comparison of the molecular structure and reactivity information provides new fundamental insights into the catalytic properties of surface vanadia species during hydrocarbon oxidation reactions: (1) the role of terminal V=O, bridging V-O-V and bridging V-O-support bonds, (2) the number of surface vanadia sites required, (3) the influence of metal oxide additives, (4) the influence of surface acidic and basic sites, (5) the influence of preparation methods and (6) the influence of the specific oxide support phase. The unique physical and chemical characteristics of supported vanadia catalysts, compared to other supported metal oxide catalysts, for hydrocarbon oxidation reactions are also discussed.