Selective Oxidation and Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Alkanes on Isolated Cations and Oxide Clusters

RESEARCH GROUP: Laboratory for the Science and Applications of Catalysis

RESEARCH DIRECTOR:

Enrique Iglesia, Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of California at Berkeley and Faculty Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory

SUMMARY:

This research project addresses the structural and site requirements for the selective introduction of oxygen atoms and the selective oxidative removal of hydrogen in reactions of alkanes. Raman, UV-visible, Raman, and X-ray absorption spectroscopies are used in combination with kinetic and isotopic tracer studies in order to probe the mechanism of oxidation and oxidative dehydrogenation reactions (using O₂) on reducible metal oxide clusters and on isolated cations supported on metal oxides. Initial studies have uncovered the critical role of oxide cluster size on the catalytic properties of supported VO_x for oxidative dehydrogenation of propane.

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Last Updated 01/25/02.