SELECTIVE OXIDATION OF PROPANE ON MGO GAMMA-AL2O3-SUPPORTED MOLYBDENUM CATALYST - INFLUENCE OF PROMOTERS/

The influence of promoters, potassium and samarium, on molybdenum supp orted over MgO-gamma-Al2O3 catalyst has been investigated in the oxida tive dehydrogenation of propane. The acidities of catalysts were deter mined by temperature-programmed desorption of NH3 and by decomposition of 2-propanol. The K-promoted catalyst showed the lower acidity follo wed by the Sm, whereas the unpromoted sample showed the highest acidit y. The higher the acid character of the catalyst, the lower the select ivity to propene. Redox properties determined from EPR spectra change with the addition of the promoter. A parallelism between Mo6+ reducibi lity and catalytic activity was found.