ABSTRACT Israel Wachs The objective of this program is the establishment of a foundation for the rational design of multilayered surface metal-oxide catalysts; this requires a data base that includes materials with a wide range of properties. The primary supports used in this study are silica, a weakly interacting support and titanic a strongly interacting support. These are surface-modified with zirconia, alumina, silica, or titania to give a range of surface properties. Vanadia is the second surface oxide layer deposited on the modified supports; it is selected because of its unique redox properties and the fact that a considerable amount of data on vanadium oxide overlayers on oxides already exists. Characterization is performed under reactive environments to determine the structures of the surface metal-oxide layers and whether the vanadium-oxide layer is anchored to the support oxide. Catalytic activities of the multilayered systems are probed with temperature-programmed reduction studies and with studies of methanol oxidation. Structure and reactivity information are combined to illuminate the natures of the interactions in these multilayered surface metal-oxide phases and their effects on catalytic reactivity and selectivity. Multilayered surface metal-oxide catalysts are widely regarded as the next generation of catalysts for partial oxidation and controlled reduction. These systems have a wide range of applicability and are considered central to cost-competitive production of many products including drugs, gasoline additives, plastics, and pesticides. This project aims to develop a rational strategy for design of these catalysts. ***
