Dispersive XAFS Study on Cu and Mo Species in Zeolites During the Catalyst Preparation

A time-resolved energy dispersive XAFS (DXAFS) technique is applied to elucidate the local structure of catalyst precursors and active species during the preparation of catalysts. The structure of ion-exchanged copper species in ZSM-5 zeolite during temperature-programmed reduction and the structure of molybdenum carbonyl species in NaY zeolite during temperature-programmed decarbonylation were investigated by the DXAFS technique. The way of the analysis of XAFS data during the dynamic processes is also discussed. The XANES spectra were analyzed to determine the ratio of different species involved in the system as a function of temperature as well as the curve-fitting analysis of the time-resolved EXAFS. The detailed analysis of the XANES and EXAFS shed light on the structural changes during the dynamic processes. In Cu-ZSM-5, a stepwise reduction process of Cu species and the subsequent growth of Cu particles during the reduction were elucidated. In Mo–NaY, the formation of Mo subcarbonyl monomer species as an intermediate of molybdenum oxycarbide dimer species was observed. This paper demonstrates that the DXAFS technique is useful to study the chemistry of catalyst preparation and can provide vital information that cannot be obtained by other techniques.