Oxygen Insertion in Propylene to Make Propylene Oxide Over a Highly Stable and Efficient Titanium Silicate Catalyst

Ankit Pandey; Monojit Nandi; Gaurav Dwivedi; Ajay Singh; Samir Kumar Maity; Mukesh Kumar Poddar

doi:10.62762/JCERF.2025.147821

Article Information

Published in Journal of Chemical Engineering and Renewable Fuels

Volume/Issue Volume 2, Issue 1, 2026

Pages 13-22

Abstract

Propylene oxide (PO) is a crucial intermediate in the chemical industry, serving as a precursor for polyether polyols, propylene glycol, and various polymers. Traditional industrial PO production methods, such as the chlorohydrin and hydroperoxide routes, are hampered by significant environmental concerns and the generation of undesirable by-products. This study explores the direct transformation of propylene to PO using titanium silicate (TS-1) catalyst. The catalyst (TS-1) was synthesized and characterized by BET surface analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). These analyses confirmed the formation of a crystalline MFI-type framework with well-dispersed titanium sites and a uniform, spherical morphology. Catalytic performance was evaluated in a batch reactor under varying conditions of temperature, pressure, hydrogen peroxide, and methanol concentrations. Under varying conditions, a maximum PO selectivity of 99.5% and a PO yield of up to 9% were achieved. The highest selectivity was obtained at lower H2O2 concentration, while the maximum yield required a higher H2O2 loading. The study also demonstrated the catalyst’s reusability and stability over multiple cycles, with minimal loss in activity. Side reactions, primarily the formation of propylene glycol and its ethers, were minimized by controlling water and hydrogen peroxide concentrations. The results highlight the advantages of TS-1, including high selectivity, environmental compatibility, and operational stability, making it a promising candidate for sustainable PO synthesis. This work provides valuable insights into the design of advanced heterogeneous catalysts for green chemical processes and addresses key challenges in the direct transformation of propylene oxide from propylene and hydrogen peroxide.

Graphical Abstract

Oxygen Insertion in Propylene to Make Propylene Oxide Over a Highly Stable and Efficient Titanium Silicate Catalyst

Keywords

propylene propylene oxide TS-1 epoxidation

Data Availability Statement

Data will be made available on request.

Funding

This work was supported without any funding.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Ethical Approval and Consent to Participate

Not applicable.

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APA Style

Pandey, A., Nandi, M., Dwivedi, G., Singh, A., Maity, S. K., & Poddar, M. K. (2025). Oxygen Insertion in Propylene to Make Propylene Oxide Over a Highly Stable and Efficient Titanium Silicate Catalyst. Journal of Chemical Engineering and Renewable Fuels, 2(1), 13–22. https://doi.org/10.62762/JCERF.2025.147821

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TY  - JOUR
AU  - Pandey, Ankit
AU  - Nandi, Monojit
AU  - Dwivedi, Gaurav
AU  - Singh, Ajay
AU  - Maity, Samir Kumar
AU  - Poddar, Mukesh Kumar
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/08
TI  - Oxygen Insertion in Propylene to Make Propylene Oxide Over a Highly Stable and Efficient Titanium Silicate Catalyst
JO  - Journal of Chemical Engineering and Renewable Fuels
T2  - Journal of Chemical Engineering and Renewable Fuels
JF  - Journal of Chemical Engineering and Renewable Fuels
VL  - 2
IS  - 1
SP  - 13
EP  - 22
DO  - 10.62762/JCERF.2025.147821
UR  - https://www.icck.org/article/abs/JCERF.2025.147821
KW  - propylene
KW  - propylene oxide
KW  - TS-1
KW  - epoxidation
AB  - Propylene oxide (PO) is a crucial intermediate in the chemical industry, serving as a precursor for polyether polyols, propylene glycol, and various polymers. Traditional industrial PO production methods, such as the chlorohydrin and hydroperoxide routes, are hampered by significant environmental concerns and the generation of undesirable by-products. This study explores the direct transformation of propylene to PO using titanium silicate (TS-1) catalyst. The catalyst (TS-1) was synthesized and characterized by BET surface analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). These analyses confirmed the formation of a crystalline MFI-type framework with well-dispersed titanium sites and a uniform, spherical morphology. Catalytic performance was evaluated in a batch reactor under varying conditions of temperature, pressure, hydrogen peroxide, and methanol concentrations. Under varying conditions, a maximum PO selectivity of 99.5% and a PO yield of up to 9% were achieved. The highest selectivity was obtained at lower H2O2 concentration, while the maximum yield required a higher H2O2 loading. The study also demonstrated the catalyst’s reusability and stability over multiple cycles, with minimal loss in activity. Side reactions, primarily the formation of propylene glycol and its ethers, were minimized by controlling water and hydrogen peroxide concentrations. The results highlight the advantages of TS-1, including high selectivity, environmental compatibility, and operational stability, making it a promising candidate for sustainable PO synthesis. This work provides valuable insights into the design of advanced heterogeneous catalysts for green chemical processes and addresses key challenges in the direct transformation of propylene oxide from propylene and hydrogen peroxide.
SN  - 3070-1058
PB  - Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge
LA  - English
ER  -

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@article{Pandey2025Oxygen,
  author = {Ankit Pandey and Monojit Nandi and Gaurav Dwivedi and Ajay Singh and Samir Kumar Maity and Mukesh Kumar Poddar},
  title = {Oxygen Insertion in Propylene to Make Propylene Oxide Over a Highly Stable and Efficient Titanium Silicate Catalyst},
  journal = {Journal of Chemical Engineering and Renewable Fuels},
  year = {2025},
  volume = {2},
  number = {1},
  pages = {13-22},
  doi = {10.62762/JCERF.2025.147821},
  url = {https://www.icck.org/article/abs/JCERF.2025.147821},
  abstract = {Propylene oxide (PO) is a crucial intermediate in the chemical industry, serving as a precursor for polyether polyols, propylene glycol, and various polymers. Traditional industrial PO production methods, such as the chlorohydrin and hydroperoxide routes, are hampered by significant environmental concerns and the generation of undesirable by-products. This study explores the direct transformation of propylene to PO using titanium silicate (TS-1) catalyst. The catalyst (TS-1) was synthesized and characterized by BET surface analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). These analyses confirmed the formation of a crystalline MFI-type framework with well-dispersed titanium sites and a uniform, spherical morphology. Catalytic performance was evaluated in a batch reactor under varying conditions of temperature, pressure, hydrogen peroxide, and methanol concentrations. Under varying conditions, a maximum PO selectivity of 99.5\% and a PO yield of up to 9\% were achieved. The highest selectivity was obtained at lower H2O2 concentration, while the maximum yield required a higher H2O2 loading. The study also demonstrated the catalyst’s reusability and stability over multiple cycles, with minimal loss in activity. Side reactions, primarily the formation of propylene glycol and its ethers, were minimized by controlling water and hydrogen peroxide concentrations. The results highlight the advantages of TS-1, including high selectivity, environmental compatibility, and operational stability, making it a promising candidate for sustainable PO synthesis. This work provides valuable insights into the design of advanced heterogeneous catalysts for green chemical processes and addresses key challenges in the direct transformation of propylene oxide from propylene and hydrogen peroxide.},
  keywords = {propylene, propylene oxide, TS-1, epoxidation},
  issn = {3070-1058},
  publisher = {Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge}
}

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