Synthesis and characterization of (Mo0.52V0.38W0.1)2O5 used as a catalyst in the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane

This work presents a study of mixed molybdenum vanadium and tungsten oxides applied to oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane (ODE). Different oxides were prepared by a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method using oxalic acid as a reducing agent to obtain a crystalline phase of composition (Mo0.52V0.38W0.1)2O5. The materials were studied by XRF, BET, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy, IR, UV–Vis, TPR-H2 and XPS spectroscopy. The structure with space group C2/m is closely related to that of R–Nb2O5 with cell parameters a ​= ​1215.1 p.m., b ​= ​374.2 p.m., c ​= ​402.0 p.m., and β ​= ​90.70°. This phase is stable under reaction and active and selective to ethylene in the ODE reaction. Comparison with the literature indicates that R–Nb2O5-type matrices constitute an alternative to Mo5O14-type oxides to control the selectivity of active species in ODE.