Direct propylene epoxidation with oxygen enabled by photo-electro-heterogeneous catalytic system

Abstract Propylene oxide (PO) is a crucial feedstock in the plastic industry. The direct epoxidation of propylene using O2 is considered to be the most promising means of producing PO, but it remains challenging. Here, we report on an integrated photo-electro-heterogeneous catalytic system for propylene epoxidation with O2. Bismuth vanadate (or TiO2) photocatalyst and Co-based electrocatalyst produce H2O2 and titanium silicalite-1 heterogeneous catalyst epoxidises propylene to PO with the in situ generated H2O2. This system enables PO production with O2 as the sole oxidising agent under light irradiation without using H2, a sacrificial agent, or external bias. It stably produces PO for 24 h with high selectivity (≥ 98%) under ambient conditions. These results demonstrate the potential of this new catalytic system to produce chemical compounds in an environmentally benign manner.