Titanium silicalite-1 (TS-1) zeolites and films supported on porous alpha-Al2O3 tubes were prepared using TS-1 and silicalite-1 (Sil-1) seeds by hydrothermal synthesis. The structure and catalytic properties of the TS-1 powders and films were characterized by SEM, XRD, FT-IR, UV-vis and styrene partial oxidation by hydrogen peroxide. The results showed that TS-1 prepared from Sil-1 seeds were as active as TS-1 from nucleated and TS-1 seeded syntheses, in spite of the concerns about nonuniformity and dilution caused by the use of pure silica Sil-1 seeds. The Ti atoms were successfully incorporated as tetra-coordinated titanium in the zeolite framework and the phenylacetaldehyde selectivity correlates well with the infrared band for Ti-O-Si of the TS-1. Reaction over TS-1 film indicates that reactions occurred at the topmost layer of the film due to the slow diffusion in the zeolite pores. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.