Structural and dynamical aspects of alkylammonium salts of a silicodecatungstate as heterogeneous epoxidation catalysts

The structural and dynamical aspects of alkylammonium salts of a silicodecatungstate [(CH3)(4)N](4)[gamma-SiW10O34(H2O)(2)] [C1], [(n-C3H7)(4)N](4)[gamma-SiW10O34(H2O)(2)] [C3], [(n-C4H9)(4)N](4)-[gamma-SiW10O34(H2O)(2)] [C4], and [(n-C5H11)(4)N](4)[gamma-SiW10O34(H2O)(2)] [C5] were investigated. The results of sorption isotherms, XRD analyses, and solid-state NMR spectroscopy show that facile sorption of solvent molecules, flexibility of structures, and high mobility of alkylammonium cations are crucial to the uniform distribution of reactant and oxidant molecules throughout the bulk solid, which are related to the high catalytic activities for epoxidation of alkenes.