Oxidative dehydrogenation of propane on pure and silica-dispersed multimetallic oxides based on vanadium and niobium prepared via hydrolytic and non-hydrolytic sol–gel methods

Pure and silica-dispersed Nb-V, V-Sb and Nb-V-M (M=Sb, Mo) oxide systems were prepared by applying the less conventional sol–gel methods and tested as catalysts in the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of propane. All the prepared systems were active in the propane ODH and selective to propene, particularly the 1:1:5 Nb-V-Si prepared via the non-hydrolytic sol–gel method and the 1:1 Sb-V prepared via the hydrolytic route. Acrolein was detected among the reaction products when working with higher reagents partial pressures and contact time.