Preparation and characterization of Fe-V/TiO2-SiO2 nanocatalyst modified by zinc

Abstract

The Fe-V/TiO2-SiO2 nanocatalyst promoted with zinc is prepared by combination of sol - gel and wetness impregnation methods. The effects of different weight percentages of iron, vanadium and zinc, titania to silica mole ratio, synthesis temperature and heating rate of calcination on the structure and morphology of nanocatalyst are investigated. Results showed that the modified nanocatalyst containing 40 wt% of Fe, 12 wt% of V and 2 wt% of zinc (all on weight percent) supported on TiO2-SiO2 with synthesis temperature of 45 °C has highest surface area, pore volume and pore diameter. Characterizations of catalysts were carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) and N2 physisorption measurements. It was found that the nanocatalyst has a particle size about 56 nm and its saturation magnetization factor is equal to 10·173 emu/g. The catalyst can easily be separated from medium by a magnet.