Oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane on Te-containing MoVNbO catalysts

Ethylene has selectively been obtained during the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane on a Mo–V–Te–Nb–O mixed oxide catalyst. The catalyst was prepared hydrothermally and heat-treated at 600 °C for 2 h in a N2-stream. For comparison, undoped and Te-doped Mo–V–Nb–O catalysts and Mo–V–Te–O and Mo–Te–Nb–O mixed oxides have also been prepared. The catalytic performance of the Mo–V–Nb–Te–O mixed oxide catalyst cannot be explained by the incorporation of Te on the surface of a Mo–V–Nb–O mixed oxide but by the presence of an orthorhombic Te2M20O57 (M=Mo, V, Nb) crystalline phase. The role of tellurium in these catalysts is also discussed.