Tungstenocene-grafted silica catalysts for the selective epoxidation of alkenes

Tungstenocene(IV) dichloride was successfully deposited and grafted on the surface of a commercially-available non-ordered silica support via either a liquid-phase or a dry impregnation approach. After a high-temperature calcination step, two W(VI)-grafted silica catalysts, with a metal loading around 1.2–1.7 wt.%, were obtained. They were fully characterized by physisorption and spectroscopic techniques, which evidenced well-dispersed tungsten oxide polyoxo cluster sites, for the catalyst prepared via liquid-phase grafting, and evenly dispersed larger monoclinic tungsten(VI) oxide aggregates, for the catalyst prepared via dry impregnation, respectively. Both W/SiO₂ solids showed moderate to good conversion values in the epoxidation of (R)-(+)-limonene and methyl oleate (up to 68%), in the presence of aqueous hydrogen peroxide, with good selectivity to the desired epoxides (63% and 78%, respectively). The heterogeneous character of the most interesting W/SiO₂ catalyst prepared via dry impregnation was confirmed by a hot centrifugation test and by an extended recovery and reuse of the solid in six catalytic runs.