Metal‐Doped Epoxy Resins –‐New Catalysts for the Epoxidation of Alkenes with High Long‐Term Activities

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For the first time, the use of epoxy resins for the immobilisation of catalytically active metal species is reported. The resins were cured using metal acetylacetonates and alkoxides as polymerisation initiators and the thus obtained thermosets were tested as epoxidation catalysts. Outstanding long‐term catalyst activities and selectivities were observed for molybdenum‐containing resins in the epoxidation of cyclohexene with tert‐butyl hydroperoxide. Mechanistic investigations indicate a superposition of heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis and a heterogeneous contribution to the catalytic activity of at least 15% can be estimated. Metal leaching is extremely low and depends on the catalyst preparation mode. The catalysts were employed batchwise in up to 60 reactions exceeding an application period of 50 days. Based on these results catalyst lifetimes of approximately 1500 days can be expected. They were applied without any reconditioning and loss of activity thus offering promising perspectives for industrial applications in continuously operating processes.