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Free keywords:
catalyst recycling;
catalytic epoxidation;
cyclohexene oxide;
green chemistry;
(S)-limonene oxide;
sol-gel-derived alumina
Abstract:
Commercial alumina looses some activity after the first epoxidation reaction of (S)-limonene with hydrogen peroxide, but maintains a good activity and a very high selectivity in the subsequent three reactions. After this its activity is strongly reduced, probably due to structural modifications. Aluminas obtained by sol-gel methods are normally less active than the commercial alumina. However, the use of monomeric aluminum sec-butoxide and of oxalic acid to form stable alumina mesophases allows a very active alumina to be obtained, which catalyses the epoxidation of the less reactive cyclohexene with hydrogen peroxide in 98% yield. Close to 50% of the active oxygen is used up in the formation of molecular oxygen.