Solvent Effects in Epoxidation of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters with Hydrogen Peroxide over TS-1 Catalyst

Solvent effects in epoxidation of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) by hydrogen peroxide on a TS-1 heterogeneous catalyst is studied for the first time. It is found that the catalytic activity of TS-1 (titanium silicalite) is significantly affected by the polarity of the solvent and its proton-donor-acceptor properties. The highest activity and selectivity is ensured by the use of solvents that are not donors of hydrogen bonds. The best results were achieved when acetonitrile was used as a solvent: the conversion of FAMEs after 6 h was 77%, and the selectivity to epoxide was 61%.