The role of surface basal planes of layered mixed metal oxides in selective transformation of lower alkanes: propane ammoxidation over surface ab planes of Mo-V-Te-Nb-O M1 phase.

The surface ab planes of the M1 phase exposed selectively after atomic layer deposition (ALD) of alumina followed by crushing showed significantly improved selectivity to acrylonitrile during propane ammoxidation. The results demonstrated the importance of surface ab planes for the activity and selectivity of the M1 phase in propane ammoxidation and general utility of surface modification by ALD in studies of catalytic behavior of surface planes in layered mixed metal oxides.