Catalytic application of mesoporous molecular sieves to vapor‐phase Beckmann rearrangement of cyclohexanone oxime

The vapor‐phase Beckmann rearrangement of cyclohexanone oxime to ɛ‐caprolactam catalyzed by mesoporous molecular sieves was studied. The proton‐form mesoporous molecular sieves, H‐MCM‐41 and H‐FSM‐16, exhibited extremely high activity, selectivity and stability for ɛ‐caprolactam formation when 1‐hexanol was used as diluent. The weak acid sites and/or surface silanol groups of mesoporous molecular sieves play an important role in the selective ɛ‐caprolactam formation.