Alkylene oxide synthesis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9688647-B2
Application number	US-201415034742-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2014
Priority date	Nov 15, 2013
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

Direct epoxidation of propene is carried out on electrochemically tuned mixed oxide catalyst surfaces in a single chamber reactor with mixed reaction gas of hydrocarbon and oxygen. Yield and selectivity improvement compared to platinum- or silver-based noble metal catalysts have been demonstrated for the same reactor set up. Increase in propylene oxide yield has been demonstrated when a cell voltage is applied.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing propylene oxide, comprising:
reacting oxygen and propene in the presence of a mixed metal oxide catalyst to produce propylene oxide,
wherein the mixed metal oxide catalyst serves as an electrode of an electrochemical cell,
wherein the mixed metal oxide catalyst comprises a perovskite catalyst,
wherein the ratio of propene to oxygen is about 0.5:1 or greater,

applying a voltage to the electrochemical cell, and
wherein the voltage is applied to the electrochemical cell such that the mixed metal oxide catalyst electrode is anodic.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein an anodic potential is from about 0.1V to about 0.7V.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical cell comprises an oxygen ion conducting electrolyte.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxygen ion conducting electrolyte comprises doped zirconia.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixed metal oxide catalyst is a noble metal-free catalyst.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixed metal oxide catalyst comprises a transition metal.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the perovskite catalyst comprises a Fe or a Mn catalyst.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature is from about 400° C. to about 650° C.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature is about 500° C.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of propene to oxygen is about 1:1 or greater.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of propene to oxygen is about 2:1 or greater.

12. A method for producing propylene oxide, comprising:
reacting oxygen and propene in the presence of a mixed metal oxide catalyst free of a noble metal to produce propylene oxide,
wherein the mixed metal oxide catalyst serves as an electrode of an electrochemical cell,
wherein the metal oxide catalyst comprises a perovskite catalyst,
wherein the ratio of propene to oxygen is about 0.5:1 or greater,

tuning the electrochemical cell by injecting charge carriers and oxygen into the catalyst.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the metal oxide catalyst comprises a transition metal.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the perovskite catalyst comprises a Fe or a Mn catalyst.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the temperature is from about 400° C. to about 650° C.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the ratio of propene to oxygen is about 1:1 or greater.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of propene to oxygen is from about 1:1 to about 50:1.

Assignees

• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Backhaus-Ricoult Monika

Classifications

• C07D301/04

  with air or molecular oxygen · CPC title

• B01J23/83

  with rare earths or actinides · CPC title

• C25B9/08

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C07D301/10 Primary

  with catalysts containing silver or gold · CPC title

• C25B13/04

  characterised by the material · CPC title