A facile one-pot strategy was used to successfully synthesize Ag@silicalite-1 using different silver amine complex mixtures as precursors via a hydrothermal synthesis method. Ag@silicalite-1 was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and N2 adsorption–desorption. When ethylenediamine was used as a ligand, Ag nanoparticles of Ag@silicalite-1 had a narrower size distribution and smaller size. The above catalyst also showed higher activity in the styrene oxidation reaction, which was performed by changing the catalysts, reaction temperatures, reaction times, and oxidants. When the reaction temperature was 363 K and H2O2 was used as the oxidant, the conversion of styrene reached approximately 88% and the selectivity of benzaldehyde was 57.2% for a 16 hour reaction.
