Synthesis and characterization of Au/Ti-SBA-15 catalysts for the vapour phase epoxidation of propylene

Au-Ti-SBA-15 catalysts have been synthesized using different preparation routes. Ti-SBA-15 supports with Si/Ti ratio ranging from 10 to 80 have been prepared by grafting and direct synthesis. X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance UV-visible spectroscopy (DRS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nitrogen sorption were applied for the characterization of the prepared catalysts. The catalytic activities of the Au/Ti-SBA-15 materials have been investigated in the direct epoxidation of propene by using a mixture of H2 and O2 and its performance was compared with an Au/TiO2 catalyst. The activity results were then interpreted with reference to the characterization.