Abstract: The epoxidation of propylene catalyzed by a reaction-controlled phase transfer catalyst with H₂O₂ generated by the oxidation of 2-ethylanthrahydroquinone with molecular oxygen in the organic solvent was investigated. Effects of reaction temperature, reaction time, H₂O₂ concentration, catalyst concentration, and additives on the epoxidation were studied. Under the suitable conditions, the yield of pro-pylene oxide, based on 2-ethylanthrahydroquinone, was above 85.6% in the fifth cycle. The results of ³¹P MAS NMR of the recovered cata-lyst showed that the catalyst composition tended to being stable after the third cycle.

Key words: propylene, epoxidation, propylene oxide, heteropolyphosphatotungstate, reaction-controlled phase-transfer catalysis, hydrogen peroxide