Micro-mixer combined with Au/TS-1 catalyst for improving the efficiency and safety of gas-phase propylene epoxidation

This study introduces a heart-like micromixer reactor and Au/TS-1 catalyst to address the dual challenges of safety and efficiency in gas-phase propylene epoxidation using H 2 and O 2 . Conventional methods face inherent explosion risks and rapid catalyst deactivation due to sintering and coking. The microreactor architecture achieves over 99% flame-quenching efficiency via sub-millisecond radical suppression and enhanced heat transfer, enabling safe operation with minimal inert gas dilution (N 2 < 70   vol%). Coupled with alkali-promoted Au/TS-1 catalysts, the system sustains > 90 % propylene oxide (PO) selectivity for 500   h, outperforming static mixers where activity halved within 100   h. This work pioneers a reactor-catalyst co-design strategy, decoupling safety constraints from reaction efficiency, and establishes a scalable platform for sustainable PO synthesis. Besides, the critical gaps in industrial-scale implementation of explosive gas-phase reactions is bridged.