Propylene epoxidation with O2 and H2: a high-performance Au/TS-1 catalyst prepared via a deposition–precipitation method using urea

Abstract

Gold nanoparticles could only be highly dispersed onto the as-synthesized TS-1 zeolite (TS-1-syn: with template) rather than the calcined one (TS-1-calc: template removed), via a deposition–precipitation method using urea. The Au-1/TS-1-syn (Au loading: 1 wt%) is promising for propylene epoxidation with O₂ and H₂, delivering a conversion of 8.1% with ∼82% selectivity to propylene epoxide (PO). The pores of TS-1 may not be essential for PO synthesis as they are blocked by the organic template.