Synthesis of MFI titanosilicates from methylamine—TPABr media

Abstract

A new synthesis route for MFI-type titanosilicates (TS-1) using methylamine along with tetrapropylammonium bromide (TPABr), silica or silicon tetrachloride and titanium tetrachloride, thus avoiding the use of costly TPAOH and Ti-alkoxide, has been investigated. The presence of titanium ions in the reaction gel slowed down the crystallization of MFI zeolites, while addition of hydrogen fluoride as a co-mineralizer into the gel dramatically improved the crystallization kinetics. Ti was readily incorporated into the zeolite framework, as confirmed by IR, XRD (unit cell expansion), and UV-vis spectroscopy. Reduced initial amounts of methylamine in the gel led to an increase of the apparent crystallization rate of the zeolite and to a remarkable decrease of the amount of framework Ti, suggesting that high concentration of methylamine is needed for the Ti incorporation into the growing MFI crystallites.