In situ electrical conductivity study of Ni-V-O catalysts used in oxidative dehydrogenation of propane

Electrical conductivity of Ni-V-O series catalysts was measured under different sequential gaseous atmospheres and at different temperatures, their conduction type was detemined and their catalytic behaviour in oxidative dehydrogenation of propane to propene was investigated. It was found that p-type semiconductor catalysts have a better catalytic behaviour than n-type ones. In reaction mixture, the higher the electrical conductivity of p-type semiconductor, the higher its catalytic activity, the lower electrical conductivity of n-type semiconductor, the higher its catalytic activity. These are due to different mechanism of the formation of the partial charged oxygen species on the surface of catalysts