In-situ X-ray analysis of working catalysis

Professor Hutchings (Cardiff University, UK) and his colleagues recently published some interesting results on vanadium phosphates (VPOs). VPOs are catalysts used in industry to spur the partial oxidation of n-butane to maleic anhydride, which is then used as a starting material for products such as resins and lubricants. The research group utilized in-situ powder X-ray diffraction, in addition to laser Raman and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopies. They determined the transformation of VPO phases as a function of temperature and with various reactants and products present over the catalyst. They concluded that the presence of the reactants rapidly converts w-VOPO₄ to d-VOPO₄, but that the initial formation of the phase may create V⁺⁵ sites associated with increased catalytic activity. For more information, see the paper, "Chemically Induced Fast Solid-State Transitions of w-VOPO₄ in Vanadium Phosphate Catalyst ", M. Conte et al., Science. 313, 1270 (2006).