A range of MoVTeNbOx catalysts were synthesised by slurry method assisted with a microwave irradiation. The pH of the synthesis solution was varied at pH = 1, 3, 5, and 7 and the obtained solid were calcined in air at 553 K for 1 hour and followed in N 2 at 873 K for 2 hours. The calcined samples were characterised and their reduction properties were evaluated. The pH of the synthesis solution was shown to affect the physicochemical properties where the formation of orthorhombic M1 phase was obtained for catalysts prepared at pH 1 and 3. The reducibility of the catalyst is improved for catalyst prepared at pH 3 as compared to those prepared at pH 1. Although higher synthesised pH (5 and 7) gave much higher reducibility of the metal oxides, however the removable oxygen could be of the unselective ones.Keywords: MoVTeNbOx catalysts, pH, reducibility, propane, acrylic acid Abstrak Satu siri mangkin MoVTeNbOx telah disintesis menggunakan kaedah buburan dibantu oleh radiasi gelombang mikro. Nilai pH bagi larutan sintesis telah dikaji pada pH = 1, 3, 5, dan 7 dan pepejal yang diperolehi telah dikalsin dalam udara pada 553 K selama 1 jam dan diikuti dalam nitrogen pada 873 K selama 2 jam. Sampel terkalsin telah dicirikan dan sifat kebolehturunan telah dikaji. Di dapati, pH bagi larutan sintesis memberi kesan kepada ciri fizikokimia di mana pembentukan fasa ortorombik M1 telah terjadi bagi mangkin yang disediakan pada pH 1 dan 3. Kebolehturunan mangkin ini dipertingkatkan bagi mangkin yang disediakan pada pH 3 berbanding yang disediakan pada pH 1. Walaupun mangkin yang disediakan pada pH yang lebih tinggi (5 dan 7) memberikan kebolehturunan logam oksida lebih tinggi, namun penyingkiran oksigen mungkin menjadi tidak selektif.Kata kunci: mangkin MoVTeNbOx, pH, kebolehturunan, propana, asid akrilik
IntroductionMoVTeNbOx is a quaternary mixed metal oxide catalyst consists of four different elements which are molybdenum, vanadium, tellurium and niobium. The catalyst is reportedly the most effective catalyst system for the vapour phase catalytic oxidation of propane to form acrylic acid [1][2][3][4][5][6]. It is because the catalyst contains necessary active sites which is fundamental in propane oxidation [7]. The active MoVTeNbOx system possesses two crystalline phases which are orthorhombic M1 phase, Te 2 M 20 O 57 (M = Mo, V, Nb), and hexagonal M2 phase, Te 0.33 MO 3.33 (M = Mo, V, Nb) [8]. The significant difference exists among these two phases is that the M1 phase contains V 5+ centres, as an agent for propane activation [4,7]. Meanwhile, M2 is incapable of activating propane, but it does convert