High-efficient green bulky alkene epoxidation using in-situ generated H2O2 by Pd-based bimetals on titanosilicalite

In response to the challenges of environmental deterioration and resource scarcity, the energy and chemical industry is focusing on

eco-sustainable catalysis to achieve diversified feedstocks, environmentally friendly processes, and high-value chemicals. These

objectives require green utilization of raw materials to produce commodity and speciality chemicals. Epoxides, as crucial high-value

organic chemical intermediates, are widely applied in various fields such as medicine, food, automotive, agriculture, and construction.

However, long-chain liquid alkene epoxidation processes rely on conventional organic peroxy acids, chlorohydrin, or Halcon

methods. These processes suffer from drawbacks such as significant environmental pollution, intricate processing requirements, or

the generation of numerous by-products, all of which contradict the principles of green chemistry and atomic economy. Therefore,

there is an urgent need to develop green, straightforward, and highly selective epoxidation processes for long-chain liquid alkenes.

Herein, we propose a sustainable pathway for the liquid-phase epoxidation of bulky alkenes using in-situ generated H2O2. The

process involves Pd-based bimetallic sites for in-situ H2O2 synthesis and Ti sites in titanosilicalites for alkene epoxidation.

Constructing Pd-based bimetallic sites on titanosilicalites allows for the effective coupling of H2O2 generation and alkene

epoxidation. The structure-performance relationship will be established between catalytic reactivity and well-defined structure by

multi-characterizations (e.g., in-situ X-ray absorption and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy), as well as elucidate the intrinsic mechanism

of bifunctional catalysts through advanced multi-technologies (experimental research, DFT calculation, and microkinetic model).

These results align with the "Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability" and are expected to fulfil the zero-pollution ambition of the European Commission.