Microwave Synthesis of Titanium Silicalite-1 Using Solid Phase Precursors

Titanium silicalite-1 (TS-1) molecular sieve was produced by microwave heating of amorphous titanium-containing solid precursors after impregnation with aqueous TPAOH solution. $SiO_2-TiO_2$ xerogel, sub-micron sized $SiO_2-TiO_2$ prepared by thermal plasma process, and Ti-containing mesoporous silica, Ti-HMS, were tested as the solid phase substrates. Highly crystalline product was obtained within 30 min. after microwave irradiation with yields over 90% using $SiO_2-TiO_2$ xerogel, which showed essentially identical physicochemical properties to TS-1 prepared by conventional hydrothermal method. Excellent catalytic activity was also obtained for 1-hexene epoxidation using $H_2O_2.\;SiO_2-TiO_2$ particles prepared by thermal plasma and Ti-HMS were found inferior as a substrate for TS-1, probably due to difficulties in wetting the surface uniformly with TPAOH.