Characterization of nanostructured binary molybdenum oxide catalyst precursors for propene oxidation

Summary High‐resolution transmission electron microscopy characterization of molybdenum oxide catalyst precursors is carried out for a better understanding of the mechanisms leading to the active catalytic material. The precipitated material consists of both large‐unit cell crystals and randomly orientated clusters on a 3–5 nm scale. The crystalline clusters are embedded in non‐crystalline material, preventing the formation of large well‐defined inactive orthorhombic MoO3 crystals during activation of the catalyst material.