Effect of support on the oxidation state and catalytic activity of MnOx nanocluster catalyst in aerobic oxidative dehydrogenation of 1-phenylethanol

Abstract The influence of supports on the oxidation state of Mn species in supported MnOx catalysts was examined. Nanosized MnOx species were prepared using a protective colloid method and subsequently supported on Mg(OH)2, Al2O3, and SiO2. X-ray absorption near edge structure and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses revealed that Mg(OH)2 and Al2O3 supports preferentially stabilized higher-valence manganese species. In the oxidative dehydrogenation of aromatic alcohols, catalysts supported by Mg(OH)2 and Al2O3 demonstrated superior acetophenone yields compared to the SiO2-supported catalyst, highlighting the importance of support selection in Mn-based catalytic systems.