How does the Support Influence the Catalytic Activity of the Keggin Ion?

Abstract

Heteropoly acids, HPA are well known solid acid and oxidation catalysts that find application in hetergeneous and homogeneous reactions. In the former, surface area and stability problems are diminshed by supporting the HPA. Typical supports include oxide substrates and porous carbon materials. The HPA's show some instability on these supports however. In this work, we demonstrate that HPA encapsulated in solgel silica matrices show enhanced catalytic performance without compromising the catalytic activity of the HPA. in addition, the specific role of the support in the catalytic process is described as well.Introduction: