Mechanisms of the stabilization of a molybdenum epoxidation catalyst by nitrogen-containing compounds

Nitrogen-containing compounds have been studied as stabilizing additives for a complex molybdenum catalyst for propylene epoxidation with ethylbenzene hydroperoxide. Introducing the additives increases the half-life period by a factor of 10–14. The effective constants and rates of the decomposition of the catalytic complex in the presence of stabilizing agents have been calculated. Two possible mechanisms of the action of the nitrogen-containing additives have been suggested.