Selective oxidation of methanol to dimethoxymethane over acid-modified V sub(2)O sub(5)/TiO sub(2) catalysts

Selective oxidation of methanol to dimethoxymethane (DMM) was conducted in a fixed-bed reactor over an acid-modified V sub(2)O sub(5)/TiO sub(2) catalyst. The influence of the acid modification on its structure, redox and acidic properties, and catalytic performance for methanol oxidation were investigated. The results indicated that the content of vanadia in the catalyst exhibits a vital influence on the dispersion of vanadium species, while the acid modification can enhance its surface acidity. Proper amounts of the acid (W() = 15%) and V sub(2)O sub(5) (W(V sub(2)O sub(5)) = 15%) components loaded in the acid-modified V sub(2)O sub(5)/TiO sub(2) catalyst are able to build a bi-functional circumstance that is favorable for the formation of DMM with high activity and selectivity. As a result, for the selective oxidation of methanol, the H sub(2)SO sub(4)-modified V sub(2)O sub(5)/TiO sub(2) catalyst gives a much higher DMM yield at 150 [deg]C than the unmodified one.