T. Ushikubo et al., STUDY OF THE STRUCTURE OF NIOBIUM OXIDE BY X-RAY-ABSORPTION FINE-STRUCTURE AND SURFACE SCIENCE TECHNIQUES, Catalysis today, 28(1-2), 1996, pp. 59-69
The structure of niobium oxides was investigated by using XAFS and sur
face science techniques. The origin of acidic property and catalysis o
f niobium oxide is discussed by these results. From the EXAFS analysis
, the structure of highly acidic hydrated niobium oxide is different f
rom those of T-Nb2O5 and K8Nb6O19, which has been previously demonstra
ted as the structure of hydrated niobium oxide, because Nb-Nb and Nb-O
distances are significantly different from each other. There are at l
east two types of Nb-O bonds, a tetrahedral form and an octahedral for
m are existing for hydrated niobium oxide. The excess of negative char
ge is present for Nb-O bond by applying Tanabe's hypothesis to single
metal oxide consisting of at least two metal-O forms with different co
ordination number. That seems to be the origin of the acidity of hydra
ted niobium oxide. The ordered niobium oxides thin film on Pt(111) and
their defect face were prepared by using UHV surface analysis apparat
us, The oxygen vacancies of niobium oxide on Pt(111) were created by A
r+ ion bombardment. H2O and CH3OH exhibit associated adsorption on the
ordered NbOx and Nb2O5 surface and dissociative adsorption on the def
ect Nb2O5 surface at room temperature. On the ordered NbOx and Nb2O5 s
urface, no evidence of ethene adsorption at 200 K is found by HREELS,
although ethene adsorbs molecularly on the defect Nb2O5 surface with a
pi-complex formation. These results imply that oxygen vacancies of Nb
Ox surface play an important role on the adsorption of the molecules.