High-Performance Hollow Spherical Mo5Ni1–AlO(OH) Catalyst for Efficient Olefin Epoxidation

Abstract

Epoxidation reactions play a crucial role in the chemical industry; however, developing efficient and stable heterogeneous catalysts for olefin epoxidation remains a significant challenge. In this study, hollow spherical Mo₅Ni₁–AlO(OH) composites were successfully synthesized via a hydrothermal method. A series of characterizations confirmed that the incorporation of nickel modulates the electronic structure of molybdenum, thereby enhancing the catalytic performance. Under the conditions using tert-butyl hydroperoxide as the oxidant, the Mo₅Ni₁–AlO(OH) catalyst achieved a 99% conversion rate of cyclohexene and 99% selectivity for epoxide after 3 h of reaction at 343 K. Additionally, the catalyst could be easily recovered by simple filtration and reused up to 10 times without significant loss of catalytic activity. The catalyst also demonstrated excellent performance in the epoxidation of other olefins, such as 1-octene and 1-decene. This study provides new insights into the development of high-performance heterogeneous catalysts, highlighting their significant potential for industrial applications.