Epoxidation of the polyisobutene using WO3/ZrO2 catalyst

Tungsten-promoted zirconia (WO3/ZrO2) was prepared by surfactant-assisted precipitation. Textural and structural characterizations of the catalysts were performed by means of N-2 adsorption, X-ray diffraction, and BET surface area. Temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia and FTIR spectra of adsorbed pyridine were used to determine the acid properties. The catalytic activities of samples have also been evaluated by the epoxidation reaction of the polyisobutene in a heterogeneous system. It was observed that WO3/ZrO2 has a beneficial effect modified by PEG-400.