Antimony(v) oxide grafted onto a silica gel surface: acidic properties and thermal stability

Abstract

Antimony(v) oxide grafted onto a silica gel surface was obtained in highly dispersed form, with antimony density of 0.65 atoms nm^–2. The material presents Brønsted and Lewis acid properties different from pyrochlore, Sb₂O₅. These sites disappear upon thermal treatment at 500 °C owing to reaction of antimony oxide with the silica surface.