Oxide loaded ordered mesoporous oxides for catalytic applications

Ordered mesoporous oxides of the MCM-41 type have been used and evaluated with respect to their catalytic properties as supports, mainly for metal particles or molecular catalysts. However, they might also be useful, with possibly even broader applications, for the preparation of supported base metal oxides which are important in many catalytic reactions. This contribution will survey the literature on this topic and then focus on three systems studied more closely in our research group, namely rare earth metal oxides, zirconia, and iron oxides deposited on and in the pores of MCM-41 and related materials. With respect to catalysis, the iron modified material was found to be especially interesting as a catalyst for the conversion of sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide in sulfur rich gases. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.