Epoxides reduction reactions

The numerous biotransformations catalyzed by cytochrome P450 enzymes include aromatic and aliphatic hydroxylations, epoxidations of olefinic and aromatic structures, oxidations and oxidative dealkylations of heteroatoms and as well as some reductive reactions. Cytochromes P450 of higher animals may be classified into two broad categories depending on whether their substrates are primarily endogenous or xenobiotic substances. Thus, CYP enzymes of families 1-3 catalyze... 

The degradation of vinyl chloride and ethene has been examined in Mycobacterium sp. strain JS 60 (Coleman and Spain 2003) and in Nocardioides sp. strain JS614 (Mattes et al. 2005). For both substrates, the initially formed epoxides underwent reaction with reduced coenzyme M and, after dehydrogenation and formation of the coenzyme A esters, reductive loss of coenzyme M acetate resulted in the production of 5-acetyl-coenzyme A. The reductive fission is formally analogous to that in the glutathione-mediated reaction. 

Scheme 7.27. Domino ester reduction/epoxide formation/reductive epoxide-opening reaction.

While the cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase reaction described in Eq. (1) often involves hydroxylation of carbon, many other reactions are catalyzed by these enzyme systems. These reactions include oxidation of nitrogen and sulfur, epoxidation, dehalogenation, oxidative deamination and desulfuration, oxidative N-, O-, and S-dealkylation, and peroxidative reactions (56). Under anaerobic conditions, the enzyme system will also catalyze reduction of azo, nitro, N-oxide, and epoxide functional groups, and these reductive reactions have been recently reviewed (56, 57). Furthermore, the NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase is capable of catalyzing reduction of quinones, quinonimines, nitro-aromatics, azoaromatics, bipyridyliums, and tetrazoliums (58). 

A recent paper by Kwiatek and co-workers1891 discloses the use of a homogeneous catalysis system for the hydrogenation of epoxides. Reduction of cyclohexene oxide to cydohexanol, and of styrene oxide to 2-phenylethanol, was carried at atmospherio pressure, using Ks[Co(CN) ] to catalyze the reaction. 

Addition reactions to carbon-carbon multiple bonds (see also Conjugate addition reactions, Cycloaddition, Cy-clopropanation, Epoxidation, Halolac-tamization, Hydrometallation, Reduction reactions)... 

Organocopper reagents, 207 of cyclopropanes Dimethyl sulfoxide, 124 Lead tetraacetate, 155 of epoxides (see also Rearrangement reactions, Reduction reactions) with organocopper reagents... 

Transition metal nanoparticles supported on different substrates are used as catalysts for different reactions, such as hydrogenations and enantioselective-synthesis of organic compounds, oxidations and epoxidations, reduction, and decomposition [24,25], Among the supports that have been applied in the preparation of supported transition metal nanoparticles are active carbon, silica, titanium dioxide, and alumina. 

Two types of reductions of epoxides, reduction giving alcohols and deoxygenation to alkenes, are dealt with in this chapter, because of their wide applicability in organic synthesis. These reactions provide access to alcohols and to alkenes when combined with appropriate methods for the synthesis of the starting epoxides, but the two-step conversion of alkenes to alcohols via epoxides is the more important. 

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