Abstract
Silica-supported molybdenum surface complexes were prepared by the reaction between (N&z.tbd;)Mo(O
t
Bu)
3
and silica
via
displacement of the
tert
-butoxy ligands for siloxyls from the silica surface. The structure of the surface molybdenum complexes was well defined by
in-situ
FT-IR, elemental analysis,
1
H NMR and
13
C CP MAS NMR techniques. The surface complexes could undergo alcoholysis reaction with CD
3
OD and CH
3
OH in the same way as free (N&z.tbd;)Mo(O
t
Bu)
3
and they show high catalytic activity and selectivity in olefin epoxidation. Initial rates up to 24.9 mmol epoxide (mmol Mo)
−1
min
−1
were achieved in the epoxidation of cyclohexene using TBHP as oxidant.