Catalytic Epoxidation of Cyclohexene with Tert-butylhydroperoxide Using an Immobilized Molybdenum Catalyst

This work describes the synthesis of molybdenum complexes immobilized on a silica support and their performance in the epoxidation reaction of cyclohexene using tert-butylhydroperoxide as the oxidizing agent. The catalyst synthesis included solubilization of variable amounts of bis-oxomolybdenum (VI) acetylacetonate precursor in different solvents such as tetrahydrofuran (THF), ethanol, THF/water and ethanol/water mixtures and contact with the silica support. Characterization techniques demonstrated that the nature of the incorporated molybdenum species depends markedly on the solvent employed. If the solvent employed is an ethanol:water mixture, physical adsorption of the Mo-species onto the support surface occurs; however, when THF is used as the solvent (THF catalyst series), molybdenum is grafted on the silica surface via chemical bonding with the surface hydroxyl groups of silica. Specifically, these latter catalysts show similar performance to that of the homogeneous catalyst, although long-term experiments showed deactivation by leaching of the active phase.