title: Acidity, surface structure, and catalytic performance of WO(x) supported on monoclinic zirconia.
abstract: The relationship between the acidity, catalytic activity, and surface structure for tungsten oxide supported on zirconia was investigated for a series of solids prepared by equilibrium adsorption on monoclinic zirconia. The catalysts were active for propanol dehydration only above a threshold in W loading. The acidity was studied by infrared spectroscopy of adsorbed probe molecules (2,6-dimethylpyridine and CO), and the onset of activity was correlated with that of the formation of relatively strong Brønsted acid sites. The variation in the abundance of these sites correlated with the catalytic activity. Lewis sites were present but could not be directly associated with the activity. Raman, IR, and UV spectroscopy results indicated that the active sites were related to polymeric W surface species.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Catalyse et Spectrochimie (UMR CNRS 6506), ENSICAEN-Université de Caen, 6 Bd. du Maréchal Juin, 14050 Caen (Cedex), France.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Onfroy
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Clet
authors.forename: Marwan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Houalla