Vanadium Phosphorus Oxide/Siliceous Mesostructured Cellular Foams: efficient and selective for sustainable acrylic acid production via condensation route.

A new type of supported vanadium phosphorus oxide (VPO) with self-phase regulation was simply fabricated (organic solvent free) for the first time by depositing the specific VPO precursor NH(VO)HPO onto the Siliceous Mesostructured Cellular Foams (MCF) with controlled activation. The resulting materials were found to be highly efficient and selective for sustainable acrylic acid (AA) plus methyl acrylate (MA) production via a condensation route between acetic acid (HAc) and formaldehyde (HCHO). A (AA + MA) yield of 83.7% (HCHO input-based) or a (AA + MA) selectivity of 81.7% (converted HAc-based) are achievable at 360 °C. The systematic characterizations and evaluations demonstrate a unique surface regulation occurring between the MCF and the NH(VO)HPO precursor. NH release upon activation of NH(VO)HPO precursor together with adsorption of NH by MCF automatically induces partial reduction of V whose content is fine-tunable by the VPO loading. Such a functionalization simultaneously modifies phase constitution and surface acidity/basicity of catalyst, hence readily controls catalytic performance.