VAPOR-PHASE AMMOXIDATION OF MESITYLENE TO 1,3,5-TRICYANOBENZENE ON V-SN-O CATALYSTS

A series of vanadium-tin mixed oxide catalysts have been prepared by t he solid-state reaction of V2O5 and SnO2 at 1250 degrees C. The fresh and the used catalysts have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (X RD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). High temperatu re oxygen chemisorption (HTOC) has been employed to titrate the coordi natively unsaturated vanadia sites. Ammoxidation of mesitylene has bee n carried out on these catalysts and an optimum composition of vanadiu m is arrived at. Better yields of tricyanobenzene (TCB) compared to li terature values are obtained. A good correlation between the oxygen up take and the TCB yield extends the applicability of HTOC to the fused oxide system.