Mixed-oxide catalysts with vanadium as the key element for gas-phase reactions

This review deals with an analysis of the main structural and reactivity properties of mixed oxide systems containing vanadium oxide as the key component in catalysts for gas-phase reactions, mainly oxidations. Particular focus is placed on catalysts showing intrinsic bi-functional properties, where the combination of both acidic/basic properties and redox V-sites is a requisite for achieving optimal catalytic performance. For the selected catalytic systems, structure-reactivity correlations that have been proposed in many decades of literature were analysed, with the aim of shedding light on the molecular-level aspects of current processes and facilitating a more rational design of future catalysts