Potassium Persulfate Initiated Air Epoxidation of Olefins over Co-MOF Efficiently

Abstract The epoxy compounds are useful intermediates and precursors in the production of fine chemicals and drugs. In the epoxidation reaction system, Co-MOF, a kind of cobalt-based heterogeneous catalytic material, has been widely studied for its simple synthesis, stable structure and excellent ability of molecular oxygen activation. For the first time, we used potassium persulfate as the initiator for the efficient air epoxidation reaction catalyzed by Co-MOF materials, which had better catalytic effects than aldehydes or peroxy compounds. As a new initiator, potassium persulfate reduces the reaction temperature and increased the amount of substrate olefins. In addition, potassium persulfate reduced the activation energy of the reaction, so that the ratio of olefin to initiator was further reduced, showing a better efficiency than initiators of aldehydes or peroxy compounds. Moreover, the application of potassium persulfate to the epoxidation reaction of other catalysts has also achieved good results.