Study on the reactivity of ultrafine cerium–molybdenum oxide particles in the absence of molecular oxygen.

The state and reactivity of lattice oxygen ions in the ultrafine Ce–Mo oxide particles prepared by the sol–gel method are studied by using X ray diffraction, laser Raman spectroscopy, temperature programmed reduction, X ray photoelectron spectroscopy and pulse microreactor tests. It is found that the lattice oxygen ions in the ultrafine Ce–Mo oxides are the main active species for partial oxidation of toluene to benzaldehyde. By decreasing the size of complex Ce–Mo oxide particles to nanometric scale, the reactivity of lattice oxygen ions can be remarkably improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]