Selective photocatalytic oxidation of light alkanes over alkali-ion-modified V2O5/SiO2; kinetic study and reaction mechanism.

Alkali-ion-modified silica-supported vanadium oxides are photocatalysts available in the field of photooxidation of light alkanes using molecular oxygen. The photooxygenated reaction was promoted over the catalyst under irradiation at steady state. Acetone formation on the photooxidation of propane was investigated over a rubidium-ion-modified silica-supported vanadium oxide that is the most effective catalyst. The kinetic analysis demonstrated that the rate-determining step is the reaction of propane on the lattice oxygen of the photoexcited VO4Rb species to yield the vanadium isopropoxide species. It was suggested that the photocatalytic active sites are occupied by photogenerated acetone during photoreaction at 333 K. Heating the photocatalyst bed drastically enhanced not only product yield but also the selectivity to propionaldehyde that is a minor product in the photooxidation at 333 K. The product distribution of photoassisted oxidation of propane was described by Boltzmann's distribution of stabilization energy of the intermediates: an isopropoxide-like one for the precursor of acetone and an n-propoxide-like one for the precursor of propionaldehyde.