Epoxidation of a, /3-unsaturated esters

A high catalyst loading (typically 20-30 mol%) is usually required for the epoxidation with ketone 26 because Baeyer-Vilhger oxidation presumably decomposes the catalyst during the epoxidation. The fused ketal moiety in ketone 26 was replaced by a more electron-withdrawing oxazohdinone (32) and acetates (33) with the anticipation that these replacements would decrease the amount of decomposition via Baeyer-Villiger oxidation (Fig. 8) [71, 72]. Only 5 mol% (1 mol% in some cases) of ketone 32 was needed to get comparable reactivity and enantioselectivity with 20-30 mol% of ketone 26 [71]. Since dioxiranes are electrophilic reagents, they show low reactivity toward electron-deficient olefins, such as a, 3-unsaturated esters. Ketone 33, readily available from ketone 26, was found to be an effective catalyst towards the epoxidation of a, 3-unsaturated esters [72]. 

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