Methanol oxidation as a catalytic surface probe

• Published in: Applied Catalysis A, General Vol. 148; no. 2; pp. 213 - 252
• Main Author: Tatibouët, J.M.
• Format: Book Review Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-01-1997
• Subjects: Catalyst characterization; Methanol oxidation; Surface probe; Surface probe; Methanol oxidation; Catalyst characterization
• ISSN: 0926-860X; 1873-3875
• DOI: 10.1016/S0926-860X(96)00236-0

The goal of this review is to present some aspects of the use of a test reaction, i.e., methanol oxidation, as a tool to characterize oxidation catalysts. The selectivity pattern and the formation rates of the reaction products are used to characterize both structural (dispersion) as well as chemical properties (acid-base and redox) on supported oxide catalysts, especially for molybdenum-based systems supported on silica and vanadia on titanium oxide. This highly sensitive technique which gives information on the catalytically active sites at the molecular level characterizes a catalyst at work and is particularly well-adapted to the study of supported catalysts.