The State of the Iron Promoter in Tungstated Zirconia Catalysts

The iron-related molecular toxicity mechanism of synthetic asbestos nanofibres: a model study for high-aspect-ratio nanoparticles

Asbestos shares with carbon nanotubes some morphological and physico-chemical features. An asbestos-like behaviour has been recently reported by some authors, though the mechanism of toxicity may be very different. To identify at the atomic level the source of toxicity in asbestos, the effect of progressive iron loading on a synthetic iron-free model nanofibre previously found non-toxic in cellular tests was studied. A set of five synthetic chrysotile nanofibres [(Mg,Fe)3(Si2O5)(OH)4] has been prepared with Fe ranging from 0 to 1.78 wt %. The relationship between fibre-induced free-radical generation and the physico-chemical characteristics of iron active sites was investigated with spin-trapping techniques on an aqueous suspension of the fibres and Mössbauer and EPR spectroscopies on the solids, respectively. The fully iron-free fibre was inert, whereas radical activity arose with even the smallest amount of iron. Surprisingly, such activity decreased upon increasing iron loading. Mössbauer and EPR revealed isolated iron ions in octahedral sites that undergo both axial and rhombic distortion and the occurrence of aggregated iron ions and/or extra-framework clustering. The isolated ions largely prevailed at the lowest loadings. Upon increasing the loading, the amount of isolated iron was reduced and the aggregation increased. A linear relationship between the formation of carbon-centred radicals and the amount of rhombic-distorted isolated iron sites was found. Even the smallest iron contamination imparts radical reactivity, hence toxicity, to any chrysotile outcrop, thereby discouraging the search for non-toxic chrysotile. The use of model solids that only differ in one property at a time appears to be the most successful approach for a molecular understanding of the physico-chemical determinants of toxicity. Such findings could also be useful in the design of safer nanofibres.

Characterization of Iron Promoter in Tungstated Zirconia Catalysts by Mössbauer Spectroscopy at Very Low Temperatures

A tungstated zirconia (WZ) catalyst with iron promoter used for the conversion of n-pentane into isopentane has been characterized by Mössbauer spectroscopy. The Mössbauer spectra have been recorded in zero magnetic field in the temperature range 0.05-295 K and with a magnetic field up to 7 T between 4.2 and 50 K. Both the recording of Mössbauer spectra with an applied magnetic field and at extremely low temperature allowed for the demonstration that iron is present in the catalysts as (i) hematite (alpha-Fe2O3) particles a few 10 nm in size, (ii) very small oligomeric Fe(III) species, probably in solid solution in zirconia, and (iii) Fe(III) oxide clusters showing magnetic ordering, probably embedded in the first surface layer and thus forming "rafts". These latter clusters form two ensembles with quite different sizes: one with diameters of about 3 nm, the other with diameters larger than 30 nm. These results are in agreement with those recently obtained by X-ray absorption spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance.

Effect of Cr and Pt promoters on the surface properties of tungstated zirconia: FTIR spectroscopy of probe molecules (CO and NO)

Adsorption of IR probe molecules (CO and NO) has been used for characterization of a Pt-Cr(2)O(3)/WO(3)-ZrO(2) sample. For better assignments of the results obtained 'blank' experiments with WO(3)-ZrO(2), Pt/WO(3)-ZrO(2) and Cr(2)O(3)/WO(3)-ZrO(2) were also performed. The Cr(2)O(3)/WO(3)-ZrO(2) sample was prepared via sulfate route and surface sulfates were detected on the activated sample. These species keep ca. 50% of their initial concentration even after reduction by hydrogen at 773 K. The amount of Lewis acid sites on the activated sample, as measured by CO adsorption, is relatively low and is associated mainly with coordiantively unsaturated (c.u.s.) Zr(4+) cations. Reduction of the sample generates Cr(3+) ions and the concentration of the Lewis acid sites continuously increases with the reduction temperature up to 773 K. At this reduction temperature, however, the strength of the acid sites decreases due to partial removal of the sulfates. While CO is not an efficient probe to discriminate between Zr(4+) and Cr(3+) sites, NO is selectively strongly adsorbed on Cr(3+) cations which allows a more precise monitoring of the evolution of the Cr(3+) sites during reduction. The activated Pt-Cr(2)O(3)/WO(3)-ZrO(2) sample also shows presence of sulfates but these species are practically absent after reduction with hydrogen at 773 K. It was found that platinum promotes the reduction of chromium and tungsten species as well. CO adsorption on activated sample reveals the existence of cationic platinum. However, reduction with hydrogen even at room temperature generates metallic Pt. Its amount continuously increases with the reduction temperature up to 573 K and then, due to the SMSI effect and/or agglomeration, the amount of platinum accessible to adsorption decreases. Comparison with the results obtained with the Pt/WO(3)-ZrO(2) sample shows that chromium and/or sulfates stabilize the cationic form of platinum.