Hydrogen peroxide, green epoxidation

M. C. A. van Vliet, D. Mandelli, 1. W. C. E. Arends, U. Schuchardt, R. A. Sheldon, Alumina A cheap, active and selective catalyst for epoxidations with (aqueous) hydrogen peroxide. Green Chem. 3 (2001) 243. 

Green Epoxidation of Geraniol Using 3% Hydrogen Peroxide... 

G. Grigoropoulou, J. H. Clark, J. A. Elings, Recent developments on the epoxidation of alkenes using hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant. Green Chem. 5 (2003) 1. 

E. G. Ankudey, H. F. Qlivo, T. L. Peeples, Lipase-mediated epoxidation utilizing urea-hydrogen peroxide in ethyl acetate. Green Chem. 8 (2006) 923. 

Since the development of titanium silicate (TS-1) materials as catalysts in the 1980s, heterogeneous titanium-catalysed oxidation reactions utilising aqueous hydrogen peroxide have been used in many effective and versatile reactions such as olefin epoxidation, " alcohol oxidation and phenol hydro)q7lation, which adhere more closely to the principles of green chemistry. 

While TS-1 is an ideal candidate for epoxidation of small linear alkenes with hydrogen peroxide, it has been reported to be less successful for large bulkier alkenes. This has been attributed to size/diffusion limitations associated with its microporous structure. Despite this limitation, the development of TS-1 assisted in the creation of a new type of solid, recyclable catalyst called a redox molecular sieve and subsequently enabled selective organic oxidation reactions to encompass many principles of green chemistry via heterogeneous catalysis. 

The search for atom-economical epoxidation of olefins led to the recent discovery of efficient titanium catalysis using aqueous hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant.From the viewpoint of green chemistry, aqueous hydrogen peroxide is the oxidant of choice, since it is inexpensive, with a high active hydrogen content (47%) and the only byproduct is water. 

Noyori, R., Aoki, M. and Sato, K. (2003). Green Oxidation with Aqueous Hydrogen Peroxide. Chem. Commun., 16, pp. 1977-1986 Lane B. and Burgess K. (2003). Metal-Catalyzed Epoxidations of Alkenes with Hydrogen Peroxide, Chem. Rev., 103, pp. 2457-2473. 

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