Epoxidation dioxygen

The alcohol B is a typical amine-epoxide adduct, and the acid A is a 1,3-dioxygenated compound ... 

Analysis This is the approach to 1,4-dioxygenated skeletons we used in frames 171-186. We need an illogical electrophile - in this case an epoxide ... 

Scheme 10.27 Catalytic cycle of HppE. Dashed arrows indicate electron transport. In this scheme HPP binds to iron1". After a one-electron reduction, dioxygen binds and reoxidizes the iron center. The peroxide radical is capable of stereospecifically abstracting the (pro-R) hydrogen. Another one-electron reduction is required to reduce one peroxide oxygen to water. Epoxide formation is mediated by the resulting ironlv-oxo species.

Whereas the metabolism of aromatic hydrocarbons takes place by dioxygenation, their biotransformation by yeasts and fungi is normally initiated by monooxygenation to the epoxide followed by hydrolysis to the trani-dihydrodiols. Phenols may subsequently be formed either by elimination or by nonenzymatic rearrangement of the epoxide ... 

Introduction of mesityl groups at the porphyrin ring can prevent the formation of the dimeric products and the reaction with dioxygen now leads to ruthenium(VI)-dioxo complexes of TMP (tetramesitylporphyrin) [35], The tram-Ru(VI)02-TM P species can catalyse the epoxidation of alkenes as well as whole range of other oxidation reactions. After transfer of one oxygen atom to an organic substrate Ru(IV)0-TMP is formed, which disproportionates to an equilibrium of Ru02 and llu ). 

It is realised that both ruthenium and the substituted porphyrins are expensive catalyst components for industrial applications. Both turnover frequencies and turnover numbers are modest. Nevertheless it remains an interesting option to use dioxygen directly in epoxidation reactions. 

The kinetics of the catalytic oxidation of cyclopentene to glutaraldehyde by aqueous hydrogen peroxide and tungstic acid have been studied and a compatible mechanism was proposed, which proceeds via cyclopentene oxide and /3-hydroxycyclopentenyl hydroperoxide. " Monosubstituted heteropolytungstate-catalysed oxidation of alkenes by t-butyl hydroperoxide, iodosobenzene, and dioxygen have been studied a radical mechanism was proved for the reaction of alkenes with t-BuOOH and O2, but alkene epoxidation by iodosobenzene proceeds via oxidant coordination to the catalyst and has a heterolytic mechanism. ... 

This enzyme [EC 1.14.13.25] catalyzes the reaction of methane with NAD(P)H and dioxygen to produce methanol, NAD(P), and water. This enzyme is reported to exhibit a broad specificity. Many alkanes can be hydrox-ylated and alkenes are converted into the corresponding epoxides. Carbon monoxide is oxidized to carbon dioxide, ammonia is oxidized to hydroxylamine, and some aromatic compounds and cyclic alkanes can also be hy-droxylated, albeit not as efficiently. 

The search for a new epoxidation method that would be appropriate for organic synthesis should also, preferably, opt for a catalytic process. Industry has shown the way. It resorts to catalysis for epoxidations of olefins into key intermediates, such as ethylene oxide and propylene oxide. The former is prepared from ethylene and dioxygen with silver oxide supported on alumina as the catalyst, at 270°C (15-16). The latter is prepared from propylene and an alkyl hydroperoxide, with homogeneous catalysis by molybdenum comp e ts( 17) or better (with respect both to conversion and to selectivity) with an heterogeneous Ti(IV) catalyst (18), Mixtures of ethylene and propylene can be epoxidized too (19) by ten-butylhydroperoxide (20) (hereafter referred to as TBHP). 

The first evidence of the capacity of supported gold catalysts to epoxidate propene was described by Haruta et al. using dioxygen in the presence of H2 as reductant, which allows 02 activation at low temperatures [237]. Although initial selectivities by Au/Ti02 were low, promising improvements were achieved with different supports [230-232, 238-246]. One of them, TS-1, is known to be suitable for the selective epoxidation of propene with H202 [246]. For that reason, many early studies focused on its use. 

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