Unique trans-selectivity of Ti-MWW in epoxidation of cis/trans-alkenes with hydrogen peroxide

The catalytic properties of Ti-MWW in the epoxidation of linear cis/trans-alkenes with hydrogen peroxide has been studied extensively, and a mechanistic investigation into its unique trans-selectivity has been carried out by comparing with TS-1 and Ti-Beta. Ti-MWW exhibits a singularity never observed on conventional titanosilicates, that it selectively epoxidizes the trans-isomer to give a selectivity of ca. 80% for corresponding trans-epoxide from an alkene mixture with a cis/trans ratio of 50:50. The trans-selective nature of Ti-MWW is affected neither by the reaction conditions nor by the kinds of alkenes. Ti-MWW retains the stereochemistry for both the substrates and the epoxides during the epoxidation reactions. Liquid-phase adsorption and the epoxidation reaction with bulky organic oxidant and position-selective poisoning reagents have revealed that the unique trans-selectivity of Ti-MWW originates mainly from its sinusoidal 10-MR channels.