Interface science for optimizing the size of oxidic nanoparticles in supported catalysts

In the present work we attempt to optimize the size of the supported “molybdenum oxide”/titania and “cobalt oxide”/γ-alumina nanoparticles formed after calcination by “selecting”, respectively, the proper mode of deposition and the local structure of the deposited species achieved upon the impregnation step of catalyst preparation. Concerning the first system, it was found that the disubstituted Mo inner sphere surface complexes, which are bound on the support surface stronger than the monosubstituded ones, resist more effectively to the sintering taking place during calcination where the above complexes are transformed progressively into MoO3 supported nanoparticles. This leads to a catalyst with very small MoO3 nanoparticles and thus with very high activity for the selective reduction of NO by NH3. Concerning the “cobalt oxide”/γ-alumina catalysts, it was found that a relatively large (small) size of the supported nanocrystallites is imposed by the bulk deposition (formation of inner sphere surface complexes). A quite small size of the supported “cobalt oxide” nanocrystallites, not strongly interacted with the support surface, is imposed by the interface precipitation. This is the optimum supported phase for the complete oxidation of benzene.