Benzene oxidation with ozone over MnOx/SBA-15 catalysts

Abstract Catalytic oxidation of benzene with ozone has been studied using manganese oxides with two different manganese precursors, Mn(NO 3 ) 2 and Mn(CH 3 COO) 2 , supported on SBA-15 (MnO x /SBA-15). The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, N 2 adsorption–desorption, Raman spectroscopy, and H 2 -temperature programmed reduction. The manganese nitrate (MN) precursor primarily resulted in large particles on the silica support, while the manganese acetate (MA) precursor mainly resulted in a highly dispersed manganese oxide on the silica support. The catalytic activity was dependent upon ozone concentration, reaction times, and the amount of Mn loading. Higher benzene conversion, O 3 conversion, and CO x yield were observed for MnO x -MA/SBA-15 catalyst over MnO x -MN/SBA-15, due to the highly dispersed manganese oxides on the supports, and the higher oxygen mobility. The 15 wt% MnO x -MA/SBA-15 catalyst shows the highest catalytic activity of all the catalysts considered in this study.