Extra-Large Pore Titanosilicate Synthesized via Reversible 3D–2D–3D Structural Transformation as Highly Active Catalyst for Cycloalkene Epoxidation
Meichen Jiao, Yuhong Zhao, Jingang Jiang, Jinpeng Yin, Rusi Peng, Kun Lu, Hao Xu, Peng Wu
Abstract
Titanosilicates with extra-large pores or cages are expected to effectively release the diffusion constraints suffered by the bulky substrates in the hydrogen peroxide-involved liquid-phase selective oxidation reactions. A reversible 3D–2D–3D structural transformation was developed to fabricate a highly active IWV-type titanosilicate (Ti-IWV) with a two-dimensional intersecting 12-membered ring (MR) channel system and extra-large 14-MR supercages. The IWV germanosilicate was readily disassembled into a layered 2D material (Hydro-IWV) in HNO3 aqueous solution, which was reconstructed to Ti-IWV with various Ti contents (Si/Ti ratio of 40–∞) through the (NH4)2TiF6-assisted isomorphous substitution of Ti and structure repair. The fluoride anions were critical to recover the interlayer double-four-ring (d4r) units, which were destroyed in the hydrolysis process. Ti-IWV was extremely active in the liquid-phase epoxidation reaction of cycloalkenes, especially showing a much higher conversion (99%) for cyclooctene than conventional titanosilicates. Rather than diffusion rate, the high capacity for the adsorption of bulky alkene molecules of extra-large 14-MR cages contributed to the outstanding activity of Ti-IWV.