Synthesis and characterization of Ti-silicalite-1 for the direct oxidation of benzene to phenol by hydrogen peroxide

This paper investigates the influence of the synthesis procedure on the catalytic activity of TS1 samples in the direct oxidation of benzene to phenol by hydrogen peroxide. The preparation of Ti-silicalite-1 catalysts involved: i) organic sources of silicon and titanium (tetraethylortosilicate and tetraethylortotitanate); ii) organic compounds as structure directing agents; iii) high-purity tetrapropylam-monium hydroxide (TPAOH) for pH adjustments to avoid the presence of Na. The effect of Na content in the initial gel on the incorporation of titanium into zeolite structure was also studied. © Società Italiana di Fisica.