Epoxidation of limonene over hydrotalcite-like compounds with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of nitriles

This paper reports the synthesis of an Mg/Al double layered hydroxide (LDH) by coprecipitation, and of its dodecylsulphate (DS) and dodecylbenzenesulp honate (DBS) intercalates by rehydration. The resulting LDHs, also known as hydrotalcite-like compounds, were characterized by using various instrumen tal techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), IR spectroscopy and solid -state NMR spectroscopy. The solids obtained were tested as catalysts in th e epoxidation of limonene with hydrogen peroxide. Because the presence of a nitrile was found to be indispensable for the reaction to develop to an ac ceptable extent, the influence of various nitriles on catalytic activity wa s examined. The epoxidation reaction yielded limonene oxide. (C) 2001 Elsev ier Science B.V. All rights reserved.