An investigation of nanostructured vanadia/titania catalysts for the oxidation of monochlorobenzene

In this work, the effects of V/Ti mass ratios in nanostructured V2O5/TiO2 catalysts on catalyst characteristics and catalyst activity were investigated. The destruction of monochlorobenzene was used as a measure of catalyst activity. The V2O5/TiO2 catalysts, which have been traditionally used as de-NOx catalysts and selective oxidation catalysts (e.g. in the production of phthalic anhydride), were made by the wet incipient method. This synthesis method provides nanostructured V2O5/TiO2 catalysts with the vanadium species on the surface of the TiO2. The catalysts were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET surface area, and Raman spectroscopy. The performance of the catalysts for the destruction of organic pollutants was assessed in a differential tube flow reactor for gas-phase thermal oxidation reactions. It was found that the presence of crystalline V2O5 on the surface of TiO2 (V/Ti mass ratio 0.05 and 0.1 ) is necessary for the oxidation of monochlorobenzene at temperatures <300 °C.