Heterogeneous catalytic epoxidation of fatty acid methyl esters on titanium-grafted silicas

Three different titanium-grafted silicates, with different morphological features were compared in the epoxidation, using tert-butylhydroperoxide as oxidant, of methyl oleate, methyl elaidate and of a mixture of methyl esters, obtained from high-oleic sunflower oil. Ti-MCM-41, a well-ordered mesoporous catalyst, showed very high conversions and excellent selectivity on all the substrates. The fatty acid methyl esters derived from renewable raw material were epoxidised selectively with very high yields in a reaction medium completely free from organic acidic compounds. The influence of the pore order of the catalysts on the catalytic performance was also examined. The interactions between the organic substrate and the ordered array of mesopores in Ti-MCM-41 were evidenced.