Moessbauer spectra of ferrite catalysts used in oxidative dehydrogenation

Room temperature Mossbauer spectroscopy was used to examine bulk changes which occur in low surface area CoFe2O4 and CuFe2O4 catalysts as a result of contact with various mixtures of trans-2-butene and O2 during oxidative dehydrogenation reactions at about 420 C. So long as there was at least some O2 in the gas phase, the CoFe2O4 spectrum was essentially unchanged. However, the spectrum changed from a random spinel in the oxidized state to an inverse spinel as it was reduced by oxide ion removal. The steady state catalyst lies very near the fully oxidized state. More dramatic solid state changes occurred as the CuFe2O4 underwent reduction. Under severe reduction, the ferrite was transformed into Cu and Fe3O4, but it could be reversibly recovered by oxidation. An intense doublet located near zero velocity persisted in all spectra of CuFe2O4 regardless of the state of reduction.