MOLECULAR ENGINEERING OF SUPPORTED METAL-OXIDE CATALYSTS

This study demonstrates that molecular engineering of supported metal oxide catalysts is currently possible from molecular level information about the number of active surface sites and reactivity per site. Such fundamental information is currently obtainable from molecular spectroscopies such as Raman spectroscopy. The critical parameters that determine the number of active surface sites and reactivity per site are the specific oxide support, catalyst composition, and calcination temperature. The oxide support determines the maximum number of active surface sites and reactivity per site, and the catalyst composition and calcination temperature primarily determine the number of active surface sites. The synthesis method of supported metal oxide catalysts is not critical since it does not influence the number of active surface sites and the reactivity per site. The approach outlined in this study can be used to assist in the molecular engineering of numerous supported metal oxide catalytic systems. © 1990.