ROLE OF THE NATURE OF THE ACID SITES IN THE OXYDEHYDROGENATION OF PROPANE ON A VPO TIO2 CATALYST - AN IN-SITU FT-IR SPECTROSCOPY INVESTIGATION/

Catalytic activity and surface acidity during the oxydehydrogenation o f propane over a VPO/TiO2 catalyst were determined by a dynamic in sit u FT-IR spectroscopy technique at 350 degrees C. Pyridine was used as a probe molecule for the acidity measurements. The obtained results sh ow that propene formation is linked to Bronsted acid sites and that wa ter increases the number of these sites which, in turn, increases prop ene selectivity.