Catalysis Letters, Vol.107, No.1-2, 73-81, 2006
Niobium containing micro-, meso- and macroporous silica materials as catalysts for the epoxidation of olefins with hydrogen peroxide
Niobia-silica mesoporous materials (xerogel, aerogel and MCM type) have been synthesized by sol-gel techniques using different co-solvents as templates. All materials are active catalysts in the epoxidation of cyclohexene with hydrogen peroxide, but only meso-macroporous aerogels give a stable and recyclable catalyst.