A series of
V2O
5/AlPO
4 catalysts with
vanadia loadings ranging from 2.5 to 20 wt % was prepared andcharacterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, electron spin resonancespectroscopy, temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) ofNH
3, BET surface area, and oxygen chemisorption methods. The catalytic properties were e
valuated forthe
vapor phase ammoxidation of 3-picoline to nicotinonitrile. TPR results indicated that the appearanceof a single reduction peak corresponds to V
5+ to V
3+. The XRD results suggest that, at low
vanadia loadingsAlPO
4 is found to be amorphous. Howe
ver, at V
2O
5 loading of 7.38 wt % and abo
ve, AlPO
4 exist as
![](/images/gifchars/alpha.gif)
-cristobaliteform in addition to V
2O
5. TPD results show that the acidity increases with
vanadia loading and decreasesat 7.38% and abo
ve loadings. The ESR spectra obtained under ambient conditions for the samples reducedat 640 K show the presence of V
4+ in axial symmetry. Dispersion of
vanadia was determined by oxygenchemisorption at 640 K and by the static method on the samples prereduced at the same temperature.The oxygen uptake measured at 640 K increases with increase in
vanadia loading, whereas dispersion of
vanadia was decreased. The decrease in dispersion of
vanadia was discussed in terms of formation ofcrystalline forms of V
2O
5 and AlPO
4. The ammoxidation acti
vity and selecti
vity of nicotinonitrile formationincrease with
vanadia loading up to 9.5 wt % and did not change appreciably at higher loadings. Thecatalytic properties during ammoxidation are related to the oxygen chemisorption sites.