Self-driven propylene epoxidation on modified titanium silicalite-1 by in situ generated hydrogen peroxide

Kwang Hyun Kim, Seon Woo Hwang, Taehyeon Kim, Haneul Kim, Myohwa Ko, Sang Seok Yoon, Min Seok Kang, Wonjoo Jin, Myung-Jun Kwak, Tae Hoon Oh, Kwanyong Seo, Sung June Cho (), Ji-Wook Jang () and Ja Hun Kwak ()
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Kwang Hyun Kim: Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Seon Woo Hwang: Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Taehyeon Kim: Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Haneul Kim: Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Myohwa Ko: Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Sang Seok Yoon: Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Min Seok Kang: Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Wonjoo Jin: Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Myung-Jun Kwak: Korea Electronics Technology Institute (KETI)
Tae Hoon Oh: Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Kwanyong Seo: Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Sung June Cho: Chonnam National University
Ji-Wook Jang: Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Ja Hun Kwak: Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Propylene oxide (PO) is a key industrial chemical, often produced by epoxidizing propylene with H2O2 over titanium silicalite-1. However, current H2O2 production via the anthraquinone process relies on fossil-derived hydrogen, leading to substantial CO2 emissions. Sustainable PO synthesis requires green H2O2 production. Here, we present a fully unassisted, solar- and bias-free system that generates H2O2. This platform enables modular, eco-friendly on-site PO synthesis by coupling formaldehyde oxidation with two-electron O2 reduction under alkaline conditions. Efficient propylene epoxidation under these conditions is achieved using titanium silicalite-1 modified by introducing dinuclear titanium sites with Ti–O–Ti bonds, as revealed by density functional theory and instrumental analyses. The unassisted H2O2 production system is integrated with the modified titanium silicalite-1 to realize continuous PO production (1657 μmolPO cm−2 over 24 h), without electric or solar energy input. This unassisted PO production method can thus be energy-independent, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional processes.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-63828-x

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