Simultaneous epoxide and carboxylic acid manufacture by co- oxidation in the presence of a copper-boron-silver catalyst

摘要

A process for simultaneously producing an epoxide and a carboxylic acid from an olefin and an aldehyde, respectively, by co- oxidation over a catalyst in the presence of oxygen is described. The catalyst is made by precipitating silver oxide in the presence of copper(II) oxide, copper(II) borate or a mixture thereof. These novel heterogeneous catalysts provide higher selectivities to the epoxide than those obtainable with commercial catalysts.