Epoxidation catalyst and process

Patent · Tue Oct 26 04:00:00 EDT 2010

OSTI ID:1015990

Linic, Suljo ^[1]; Christopher, Phillip ^[1]

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1. Ann Arbor, MI

Disclosed herein is a catalytic method of converting alkenes to epoxides. This method generally includes reacting alkenes with oxygen in the presence of a specific silver catalyst under conditions suitable to produce a yield of the epoxides. The specific silver catalyst is a silver nanocrystal having a plurality of surface planes, a substantial portion of which is defined by Miller indices of (100). The reaction is performed by charging a suitable reactor with this silver catalyst and then feeding the reactants to the reactor under conditions to carry out the reaction. The reaction may be performed in batch, or as a continuous process that employs a recycle of any unreacted alkenes. The specific silver catalyst has unexpectedly high selectivity for epoxide products. Consequently, this general method (and its various embodiments) will result in extraordinarily high epoxide yields heretofore unattainable.

• Research Organization: The Regents of the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-05ER15686
• Assignee: The Regents of the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI)
• Patent Number(s): 7,820,840
• Application Number: 12/498,942
• OSTI ID: 1015990
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English