Oxidation of methanol on different silica supported lithium molybdates

Abstract The adsorption, the temperature programmed desorption and the oxidation of methanol were studied on different silica supported Li 2 MoO 4 . It was found that after adsorption of methanol methoxy species were formed in all cases, but the thermal stability of these species were different. The lowest value was found on Li 2 MoO 4 /aerogel. Oxygen in the gas phase stabilizes the surface methoxy groups up to 600–650 K. TPD spectra of adsorbed methanol show that up to 620 K only CH 3 OH and HCHO desorbed but at higher temperatures CO 2 , CH 4 and H 2 were also formed. In the oxidation of CH 3 OH the rate of HCHO formation was the highest on aerogel supported Li 2 MoO 4 at 533 K, and the selectivity was more than 70%.