Characterization of NiO-TiO2Modified with WO3and Catalytic Activity for Acid Catalysis

A series of NiO-TiO₂ / WO₃ catalysts was prepared by drying powdered Ni(OH)₂-Ti(OH)₄ with ammonium metatungstate aqueous solution, followed by calcining in air at high temperature. Characterization of prepared catalysts was performed by using FTIR, Raman, XPS, XRD, and DSC and by measuring surface area. Upon the addition of tungsten oxide to titania up to 25 wt%, the specific surface area and acidity of catalysts increased in proportion to the tungsten oxide content due to the interaction between tungsten oxide and titania. Since the - TiO₂ /stabilizes the tungsten oxide species, for the samples equal to or less than 25 wt%, tungsten oxide was well dispersed on the surface of titania, but for the samples containing above 25 wt%, the triclinic phase of WO₃ was observed at calcination temperature above 400 ∘C . The catalytic activities of 10-NiO- TiO₂ / WO₃ for 2-propanol dehydration and cumene dealkylation were correlated with the acidity of catalysts measured by ammonia chemisorption method. NiO may attract reactants and enhance the local concentration of reactants near the acid sites, consequently showing the increased catalytic activities.