Effect of acid treatment on silica-titania aerogel as oxidative-acidic bifunctional catalyst

Acid treatment using H2SO4, HCl and H3PO4 has been carried out in an attempt to improve catalytic performance of silica-titania aerogel. X-ray diffraction results showed the amorphous structure of the aerogels remained after the acid impregnation and calcinations steps. Hammert analysis revealed these acid modified silica-titania aerogels were superacids with pKa < -14.52. Different Ti species was observed in the samples upon the acid treatment. As compared to silica-titania aerogel, Lewis acidity increased remarkably in HCl treated sample without formation of any Brønsted acid site. Meanwhile, H2SO4 and H3PO4 treated samples possessed both Lewis and Brønsted acid sites. The catalytic performance of these samples was evaluated through a consecutive transformation of 1-octene to 1,2-octanediol through the formation of 1,2-epoxyoctane using aqueous hydrogen peroxide as oxidant