INFLUENCE OF THE NATURE OF SILICON AND TITANIUM ALKOXIDES ON THE INCORPORATION OF TITANIUM IN TS-1

Titanium silicalites-1 were synthesized using various silicon and titanium alkoxides. When silicon ethoxide is used as the silicon source, no influence of the titanium alkoxide on the titanium incorporation is observed. Silicon propoxide and butoxide are not recommended because of their low rate of hydrolysis, which yields materials with a low crystallinity and containing extra framework oxides. Higher amounts of titanium can be incorporated using silicon methoxide and various titanium alkoxides. The difference with other syntheses was explained by the very high rate of hydrolysis of the silicon source. All of these solids were active as catalysts in the hydroxylation of phenol with hydrogen peroxide.