Mesoporous silica-supported V-substituted heteropoly acid for efficient selective conversion of glycerol to formic acid

V-substituted polymolybdenum phosphoric acid (PVxMo) supported on mesoporous silica was prepared and investigated as a catalyst for the oxidation of glycerol to formic acid in a batch operation. Different synthetic methods for PVxMo supported on mesoporous silica were compared. Detailed characterizations of the final products were carried out by N2 adsorption and desorption, XRD, HR-TEM, SEM, ICP-OES, XANES, NH3-TPD, and FTIR to identify the chemical properties and the porous structure of silica-supported PVxMo, as well as the strong interactions between PVxMo with the silica skeleton. These critical properties explain the bifunctionality of silica-supported PVxMo as a catalyst for the selective oxidation of glycerol to formic acid with standing stability. Keywords: Glycerol, Formic acid, SBA-15, V-substituted heteropoly acid