University of Kansas

Madhav Ghanta

Bala Subramaniam

Daryle Hadley Busch

Anand Ramanathan

Tie-Pan Shi

Hyun-Jin Lee

Wenjuan Yan

A process for epoxidizing an olefin comprising contacting an olefin with an oxidant in the presence of an insoluble oxidation catalyst in a solvent system comprising an organic water-miscible solvent to form an alkylene oxide. The insoluble oxidation catalyst comprises a metal, preferably selected from the group consisting of tungsten, cerium, and niobium. The metal is directly incorporated within a solid mesoporous silicate support, such as one selected from the group consisting of KIT-5, KIT-6, and TUD-1.

Alkylene epoxidation with mesoporous catalysts

A process for the selective oxidation of olefins to epoxides comprising the step of contacting the olefin (propylene or ethylene) with an oxidant (hydrogen peroxide) in the presence of a Lewis acid oxidation catalyst (MTO), organic base (pyridine or its N-oxide), in a solvent system comprising an organic water-miscible solvent (methanol). The system is pressurized using either the olefin itself or by adding an inert pressurizing gas (nitrogen) to increase the pressure between 230 and 700 psi at a temperature between 0.7 and 1.3 times the critical temperature of the olefin. The resulting increased solubility of the olefin in the organic solvent system increases the selectivity and yield of the desired epoxide (propylene oxide or ethylene oxide).

Process for selective oxidation of olefins to epoxides

Growing community of inventors

Lawrence, KS, United States of America

Madhav Ghanta