Iron-catalysed propylene epoxidation by nitrous oxide: dramatic shift of allylic oxidation to epoxidation by the modification with alkali metal salts

A dramatic shift of allylic oxidation to epoxidation has been observed during the oxidation of propylene by N2O when the FeOx/SBA-15 catalyst is modified with alkali metal salts, and the roles of alkali metal salts are to suppress the reactivity of lattice oxygen and to induce an iron coordination structure effective for epoxidation with N2O.