Abstract
Thermally stable and insoluble silver salts of 12-molybdophosphoric acid with varying amount of Ag cations were prepared. XRD results indicated the presence of single phase of AgxH3-xPMo12O40 (0 < x < 3). FTIR and Raman results indicated that Ag was incorporated in the secondary structure of Keggin ion. The catalytic conversion of ethanol increased in the order of H3PMo > Ag2PMo > Ag1PMo > Ag3PMo. Pure H3PMo is highly selective to dimethyl ether formation; in contrast AgxH3-xPMo12O40 catalysts offered better ethylene selectivity. The pyridine adsorption studies revealed that increase of Ag incorporating led to increase the Lewis acid sites. (C) 2013 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.