Insight into alcohol transformation over binary Al2O3-Y2O3 mixed oxide nanoparticles

This work reports the synthesis and catalytic application of binary Al2O3-Y2O3 (AlY-x) mixed oxides varying the Y2O3 wt% content (with x = 0 %, 25 %, 50 %, 75 %, and 100 %) prepared by hydrothermal treatment. For AlY-0, urchin-like structures composed of nanobelts and nanorods clearly showed the gamma-alumina phase. The AlY-25, AlY-50, and AlY-75 exhibited the formation of nanospheres and microspheres with homogeneous compositions. The surface analysis by XPS revealed the presence of carbonates in the yttrium content materials and a slight Al enrichment in the AlY-25 and AlY-50 samples. Our catalytic experiments demonstrate that changing the surface acid/base properties and tuning the yttria content can induce modifications in the structural and electronic properties, conduction character, morphology, and especially on the conversion and selectivity of 2-propanol transformation. The mechanism involved in the different pathways for the transformation of 2-propanol was revised under the light of FTIR in-situ reaction analysis, thermo-conductivity chromatography, and multidimensional gas chromatography.