Study on Chemisorption, Catalytic Behavior, and Stability of Supported Au Catalyst for the Propylene Epoxidation Reaction

The supported Au/TiO2 and Au/TiO2-SiO2 catalysts were prepared by deposition precipitation method. The TPD study reveals that propylene oxide competes with propylene to be adsorbed on the same adsorptive center—Tin+ site on the surface of the catalyst and that the adsorbing capacity of the catalyst for propylene oxide is larger than that for propylene. Catalytic behavior for propylene epoxidation with H2 and O2 was tested in a micro-reactor. Under typical conditions, the selectivity for propylene oxide is over 87%. The TG curves show that PO successive oxidation cause carbon deposition on the active center and deactivation of the Au catalysts. Because the amounts of Tin+ site decrease significantly, and consequently the separation between Tin+ sites increases, the Au/TiO2-SiO2 catalyst is more stable than Au/TiO2.