Nanostructuring of binary molybdenum oxide catalysts for propene oxidation

Binary molybdenum oxides are active catalysts for propene oxidation to acrolein if they are structurally different from orthorhombic MoO3 (o-Mo). The periodical structure of the as-synthesized precatalyst must be different from o-Mo to create the activity. Additional features typical for efficient catalysts are a bulk nanostructuring and a complex surface termination that are detectable in TEM examinations only. After transition into defective o-Mo the samples exhibit much reduced activities. The implications of these findings on the functional analysis of complex selective oxidation catalysts are discussed.