Supported oxide catalysts are critical for many transformations. Described here are routes to creating supported oxides of controlled dispersion through careful selection of the precursor and of surface treatments. We have shown the highly multidentate and negatively-charged ethylenediaminetetraacetate ligand (EDTA) is effective for dispersing Fe on various oxides surfaces. The countercation for this complex is critical for determining whether, at the same loading, the surface is decorated with isolated Fe cations or sheets of FeOx. Cu and Co oxides are synthesized in a similar manner. In another example, Mn oxide clusters are synthesized in solution and deposited by standard impregnation routes. The resulting supported oxides are characterized by XAS, DRUV-vis and other techniques, and structure is shown to depend on precursor nuclearity at the same total loading. In both cases, selective alkane oxidation to alcohols and ketones is carried out using H2O2 or O2 as is dependant on the precursor structure.

Synthesis and understanding of highly dispersed, supported oxides for selective oxidation

243rd National Meeting (2012)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.