Chromium, vanadium, molybdenum, tungsten, magnesium, and aluminum hydrotalcite hydroxo salts and oxide catalysts on their base

A method is developed for the synthesis of chromium-containing catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of alkanes, comprising the precipitation, from nitrate solutions, of mixtures of isomorphic hydrotalcite-type magnesium aluminum and magnesium chromium hydroxocarbonates and the incorporation of oxovanadate, oxomolybdate, and oxotungstate ions by means of anion exchange and subsequent heat treatment. A series of oxide catalyst samples with progressively more complex compositions were prepared: Mg-Al, V-Mg-Al, V-Mo-Mg-Al, Cr-V-Mg-Al, Cr-V-Mo-Mg-Al, and Cr-V-Mo-W-Mg-Al. The catalytic properties of these complex oxides in the ODH of ethane and propane are improved with progressively complex compositions. Chromium-containing catalysts have higher selectivities and provide higher conversions compared to state-of-the-art iron- and nickel-containing oxides.