# An Electrocatalytic/Heterogeneous Catalytic Cascade for Selective Production of Propylene Oxide via Anodic H2O2 Generation

## TL;DR

This paper presents a new method for producing propylene oxide using an electrochemical process that is more sustainable and efficient.

## Contribution

The study introduces a cascade system combining anodic H2O2 generation with immobilized TS-1 for selective propylene oxide synthesis.

## Key findings

- A ZnWO4 electrocatalyst efficiently generates H2O2 at the anode.
- Immobilizing TS-1 on a gas diffusion layer improves propylene transport and prevents catalyst loss.
- The system achieves 98% H2O2 utilization and over 97% selectivity for propylene oxide.

## Abstract

Propylene oxide, a key intermediate with wide applications in the plastics industry, is still mainly produced by energy‐intensive and environmentally non‐sustainable processes. Electrochemically assisted epoxidation of propylene is emerging as a sustainable and atom‐efficient method for highly selective synthesis of propylene oxide. Here, we introduce a cascade strategy that combines anodic H2O2 generation with propylene epoxidation at a porous layer of immobilized titanium silicate (TS‐1). A ZnWO4 electrocatalyst was developed for efficient anodic H2O2 generation. To maximize local reactant concentrations, we designed an integrated TS‐1‐immobilized gas diffusion layer, which facilitates rapid propylene transport to the triple‐phase boundaries, while preventing TS‐1 loss and avoiding separation issues common in solution‐phase heterogeneous catalytic systems. Furthermore, an acetonitrile‐bicarbonate containing electrolyte system was optimized to facilitate direct utilization of H2O2 for propylene epoxidation, leading to 98% H2O2 utilization efficiency and over 97% selectivity for propylene oxide. This work offers a safer and greener alternative for propylene oxide production and broadens the application of electrochemically generated H2O2 from water oxidation for selective oxygenation reactions.

This work demonstrates a cascade strategy for the selective synthesis of propylene oxide (PO) by coupling anodic H2O2 generation with TS‐1 catalyzed propylene epoxidation. By immobilizing TS‐1 on a gas diffusion layer, the system achieves high PO productivity with efficient H2O2 utilization, providing a safer and greener alternative to conventional PO production.