Preparation and characterization of transition metal-modified lacunary Keggin 11-tungstophosphates supported on carbon

Abstract Transition metal-modified lacunary Keggin heteropolycompounds [PW11O39M]5−, with M = Ni2+, Co2+, Cu2+, or Zn2+, were synthesized and characterized. These heteropolycompounds were used to prepare the carbon-supported catalysts. Both the heteropolycompounds and the carbon-supported catalysts showed FT-IR spectra with the characteristic bands of these compounds and provided an indirect measure of the interaction strength between M and the oxygen of the central tetrahedron group of the Keggin structure. The anion decomposition of the modified compounds takes place at equal or lower temperature than that of the bulk and supported parent lacunary [PW11O39]7− anion. The species present on the support surface may be highly dispersed as a non-crystalline form, as a result of the interaction with the support surface groups. The activity of the synthesized catalysts in isopropanol dehydration, reflecting their acidity, increases as the reduction temperature of the decomposition products of the heteropolycompounds decreases. It may be assumed that the generation of acid sites is a result of the interaction of hydrogen, donated by isopropanol during its decomposition, with the M cation, leading to M reduction and protons.