A Nanoarchitecture Based on Silver and Copper Oxide with an Exceptional Response in the Chlorine-Promoted Epoxidation of Ethylene

Abstract

The selective oxidation of ethylene to ethylene epoxide is highly challenging as a result of competing reaction pathways leading to the deep oxidation of both ethylene and ethylene oxide. Herein we present a novel catalyst based on silver and copper oxide with an excellent response in the selective oxidation pathway towards ethylene epoxide. The catalyst is composed of different silver nanostructures dispersed on a tubular copper oxide matrix. This type of hybrid nanoarchitecture seems to facilitate the accommodation of chlorine promoters, leading to high yields at low reaction temperatures. The stability after the addition of chlorine promoters implies a substantial improvement over the industrial practice: a single pretreatment step at ambient pressure suffices in contrast with the common practice of continuously feeding organochlorinated precursors during the reaction.