Evaluation and characterization of Sm-V-O catalytic system for propane oxydehydrogenation: Sm2O3-impregnated V2O5 catalysts Original Research Article

Sm-V-O based catalysts were prepared by impregnating V2O5 with different amounts of Sm2O3. These catalysts and the pure phases of reference (V2O5, Sm2O3, and SmVO4) were characterized by specific surface area measurements by the BET method, X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature programmed reduction (TPR), laser Raman spectroscopy (LRS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and adsorption–desorption of CO2. Its catalytic performance was compared by using propane oxidative dehydrogenation reaction. The results of physico-chemical characterization indicated that the system evolves to SmVO4 formation by a reaction in the solid state, producing segregation of this new phase. However, due to the fact that the surface tends to become rich in vanadium, mainly in the V2O5 form, the catalytic behavior of V2O5 impregnated with Sm2O3 is not significantly different from that presented by the pure phase. This surface architecture would be achieved because V2O5 can easily migrate on the surface of other oxides when heated at high temperature. But, in the presence of the reaction atmosphere (propane/oxygen mixture), its migration would occur at lower temperatures.