Highly efficient synthesis of epichlorohydrin by epoxidation of allyl chloride over titanosilicate Ti-MWW

Liquid-phase epoxidation of allyl chloride with hydrogen peroxide was carried out over Ti-MWW, a novel titanosilicate with the MWW structure, to synthesize epichlorohydrin selectively and effectively. The allyl chloride conversion reached 87.9 and 77.3% at 2 hr for Ti-MWW and TS-1, respectively, and finally about 99% at 10 hr for both catalysts. Epichlorohydrin underwent an acid-catalyzed solvolysis with the protonic solvent of methanol over TS-1 because of the acidic nature of the TS-1 surface. Methanol was the most effective solvent for TS-1, in which a 75.1% conversion of allyl chloride was obtained, whereas the catalyst activity was low when other solvents were used. Ti-MWW showed superior product selectivity to TS-1, on which the formation of 3-chloro-l,2-propanediol and glycerol ethers by the solvolysis of epichlorohydrin with methanol occurred readily.