Short communicationHeterogeneous SBA-15-supported Oxoperoxomolybdenum(VI) complex for enhanced olefin epoxidation

•The SBA-15 modified oxoperoxo molybdenum(VI) complex containing a hydrazine ligand.•High catalytic activity and selectivity of the homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts•The heterogeneous catalyst can be recycled without a noticeable change in activity up to six cycle.

Heterogeneous nanoscale catalyst was successfully synthesized via anchoring of oxoperoxo molybdenum(VI) complex on the chloro-functionalized SBA-15. The mesoporous nanomaterials, MoO3(sal-phz)/SBA-15 (where sal-phz is salicylidene 2-picoloyl hydrazine) were identified by several characterization techniques. MoO3(sal-phz)/SBA-15 and MoO3(sal-phz) were also treated as catalysts in the olefins epoxidation reactions. Both homogenous and heterogeneous catalysts exhibit outstanding activity and selectivity for epoxide with tert-BuOOH in decane as oxidant at 95 °C. In addition, the heterogeneous nanocatalyst was chemically stable and can be efficiently reused for at least six cycles without a significant loss in catalytic activity.

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