Effect of Mo loading on 2-naphthaldehyde formation from vapor phase oxidation of 2-methylnaphthalene with V2O5/TiO2 catalysts

Abstract Mo-modified V 2 O 5 /TiO 2 catalysts were prepared by wetness impregnation method and investigated for the selective oxidation of 2-methylnaphthalene to 2-naphthaldehyde. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, BET, XPS, and Raman to investigate the promotional effect of Mo on catalyst structure, surface property, and catalytic performance. The introduction of molybdenum decreases the amount of KVO 3 phase and enhances the dispersion of the vanadium phase. XPS and Raman results indicate that Mo prevents Sn and K to interact with V species and bonds with Ti or V through bridge oxygen. V1Mo1 sample demonstrates a remarkable improvement in conversion and selectivity compared with others.