Mv. Tsodikov et al., IRON-ALUMINUM CLUSTER CATALYSTS OBTAINED BY ALKOXY SYNTHESIS .1. LIQUID-PHASE OXIDATION OF HEXADECANE, Journal of catalysis, 148(1), 1994, pp. 113-118
Iron-substituted boehmite gel has been prepared by alkoxy synthesis, i
.e., by reaction of Fe(acac)3 with a fresh surface of AlOOH. Iron-alum
inum complex oxide catalysts for liquid-phase oxidation of hexadecane
were prepared by annealing the gel precursors. The gels with 0-20 wt.%
of iron loading were studied by magnetic susceptibility and Mossbauer
spectroscopy. Depending on the iron concentration, differing amounts
of paramagnetic Fe3+ ions in the boehmite structure and small ferrimag
netic spinel clusters were observed in the X-ray amorphous precursors.
Thermal treatment led to formation of substituted spinels, FexAl2-xO3
, as well as gamma-ferric oxide clusters. The overall rate of hexadeca
ne oxidation increased with an increase in the relative content of mag
netic clusters. The inclusion of nonmagnetic Al3+ ions in the gamma-Fe
2O3 lattice reduced the number of terminal Fe3+ = O groups and the ove
rall catalytic activity. The role of electronically excited terminal o
xygen on the surface of gamma-ferric oxide clusters in the mechanism o
f hexadecane oxidation is discussed. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.