Synthesis, Characterization, and Catalytic Properties of Mesoporous Tin-Containing Analogs of MCM-41

Mesoporous stannosilicate molecular sieves with the MCM-41 structure have been synthesized by hydrothermal methods and characterized in detail by elemental analysis, XRD, N2adsorption measurements, and UV–visible, IR,13C CP/MAS NMR,29Si MAS NMR,119Sn MAS NMR, and Mössbauer spectroscopic methods. The increase in the unit-cell parameter (XRD), the presence of an absorption band at ∼208 nm (UV–vis), and Mössbauer spectroscopy suggest the incorporation of Sn into the MCM-41 structure. The Sn-MCM-41 samples catalyze the selective oxidation/epoxidation of organic compounds by aqueous H2O2/tertiary butyl hydroperoxide.