Synthesis of Mo-SBA-1 catalyst via sol–gel process and its activity

Mo-SBA-1 was successfully synthesized via sol–gel process using silatrane and molybdenum glycolate precursors as silica and molybdenum sources, respectively, and hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (C16TMAB) as template at room temperature. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) result showed the characteristics of a three-dimensional cubic structure, Pm3n space group. The incorporation of the molybdenum species into the SBA-1 framework was indicated by the diffuse reflectance ultraviolet–visible (DRUV) result, and it was found that 5 mol% of molybdenum could be introduced into the SBA-1 without any extra-framework species. The activity of the synthesized Mo-SBA-1 catalyst was investigated via epoxidation reaction of styrene monomer, and it showed high activity. The only products of this reaction were styrene oxide and benzaldehyde.