TS-1, catalytic mechanism in cyclohexanone oxime production

Cyclohexanone ammoximation is an important industrial process in the way of caprolactam production. A few years ago, Enichem introduced a new approach to this reaction working in liquid phase and using ammonia and hydrogen peroxide. The aim of this work was to discover the reaction pathway and so whether the reaction proceeds via an hydroxylaminic or iminic intermediate. The experimental data have allowed us to hypothesise the hydroxylamine path as the most important reaction mechanism on the basis of the catalytic data obtained from a two steps reaction and by the inorganic byproducts formation.