Selective oxidation of o-xylene to phthalic anhydride: from conventional catalysts and technologies toward innovative approaches

This paper discusses the gas-phase selective oxidation of o-xylene to phthalic anhydride, one of the chemical processes most studied in the 1980s and 90s. Specifically, it is our aim to examine some aspects which may offer ideas for the development of more innovative reactor technologies or catalyst formulations, and to discuss some peculiarities of this process and of the V/Ti/O catalysts that have been overlooked in the past.