A spectroscopic investigation of cerium molybdenum oxides

A detailed X-ray photoelectron, i.r., and Raman spectral study has been made of Ce2(MoO4)3 and five novel cerium molybdenum oxides (α- and β-Ce2Mo4O15, β- and γ-Ce2Mo3O13, and Ce8Mo12O49), which are of particular interest as they are closely related to the cerium molybdenum oxide species which are expected to play an active role in an industrial cerium molybdenum tellurium oxide acrylonitrile catalyst. The photoemission results add to the few existing previous data concerning cerium compounds and confirm the valence distribution in the compounds. With the exception of the tetrahedral oxomolybdenum co-ordination in Ce2(MoO4)3 the cerium molybdates consist of highly irregular or mixed polyhedral arrangements with Mo–O bond strengths (in valence units) either below 0.3 v.u or above 1.0 v.u.