Vanadia nanoparticles supported on nickel manganese mixed oxides were synthesized by co-precipitation method. The catalytic properties of these materials were investigated for the oxidation of benzyl alcohol using molecular oxygen as oxidant. It was observed that the calcination temperature and the size of particles play an important role in the catalytic process. The catalyst was evaluated for its oxidation property against aliphatic and aromatic alcohols, which was found to display selectivity towards aromatic alcohols. The samples were characterized by employing scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.
Keywords: Catalysis; Mixed metal oxide; Vanadia nanoparticles.