Oxirane peroxide

The reaction of peroxides with alkenes is probably the most common method for the preparation of epoxides (oxiranes). Peroxides are a source of electrophilic oxygen when they react with the nucleophilic n bond of an alkene. In Table 3.1, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was shown to be a powerful oxidizing agent, with a reduction potential of 1.77 Vl for the following reaction ... 

The second process involves reaction of propylene with peroxides, as in the Oxirane process (97), in which either isobutane or ethylbenzene is oxidized to form a hydroperoxide. 

The cycloahphatic products are generally Hquids of lower viscosity than the standard glycidyl ether resins. The peroxidized resins contain no chlorine and low ash content and their ring-contained oxirane group (cyclohexene oxide type) reacts more readily with acidic curing agents than the bisphenol A-derived epoxy resins. 

Nucleophilic opening of oxiranes to give ultimately 1,2-diols is usually effected without isolation of the oxirane oxiranation (epoxidation) of alkenes with unbuffered peroxy-ethanoic acid or hydrogen peroxide in methanoic acid (Section 5.05.4.2.2(/)) tends to give monoesters of 1,2-diols (e.g. 53), which can be hydrolyzed to the diols (Scheme 46). 

The most important oxirane syntheses are by addition of an oxygen atom to a carbon-carbon double bond, i.e. by the epoxidation of alkenes, and these are considered in Section 5.05.4.2.2. The closing, by nucleophilic attack of oxygen on carbon, of an OCCX moiety is dealt with in Section 5.05.4.2.1 (this approach often uses alkenes as starting materials). Finally, oxirane synthesis from heterocycles is considered in Section 5.05.4.3 one of these methods, thermal rearrangement of 1,4-peroxides (Section 5.05.4.3.2), has assumed some importance in recent years. The synthesis of oxiranes is reviewed in (B-73MI50500) and (64HC(19-1U). 

The thermal fragmentation of unsaturated bicyclic 1,4-peroxides, often readily made from 1,4-dienes (Scheme 84), has become an important route to novel bis(oxiranes) (80T833, 81CRV91). 

The high degree of stereoselectivity associated with most syntheses and reactions of oxiranes accounts for the enormous utility of these systems in steroid syntheses. Individual selectivity at various positions in the steroid nucleus necessitates the discussion of a collection of uniquely specific reactions used in the synthesis of steroidal epoxides. The most convenient and generally applicable methods involve the peracid, the alkaline hydrogen peroxide and the halohydrin reactions. Several additional but more limited techniques are also available. 

Many functional groups are stable to alkaline hydrogen peroxide. Acetate esters are usually hydrolyzed under the reaction conditions although methods have been developed to prevent hydrolysis.For the preparation of the 4,5-oxiranes of desoxycorticosterone, hydrocortisone, and cortisone, the alkali-sensitive ketol side chains must be protected with a base-resistant group, e.g., the tetrahydropyranyl ether or the ethylene ketal derivative. Sodium carbonate has been used successfully as a base with unprotected ketol side chains, but it should be noted that some ketols are sensitive to sodium carbonate in the absence of hydrogen peroxide. The spiroketal side chain of the sapogenins is stable to the basic reaction conditions. 

Natural peroxides and pharmacological preparations possessing oxirane fragment 99MI3. 

Oxiranes, synthesis, bioactivity, and mechanism of peroxide epoxidation of alkenes 99MI3. 

Introduction of fluorine by oxirane-ring opening is described first. The 1,2-oxirane 408, prepared from nitroalkene 407 and hydrogen peroxide, was treated with KHF2 (ethylene glycol, 20 min, 112°) to 2-... 

Epoxidation of ot.fl-unsaturated ketones by hydrogen peroxide or /-butyl peroxide is promoted by the addition of tetra-n-butylammonium fluoride [10], whereas the corresponding reaction with 1,4-disubstituted but-2-en-l,4-diones is catalysed by quaternary ammonium iodides [11], Oxiranes are also produced by the catalysed reaction of /-butyl peroxide with a,f)-unsaturated sulphonates under basic conditions [12]. 

Direct phase-transfer catalysed epoxidation of electron-deficient alkenes, such as chalcones, cycloalk-2-enones and benzoquinones with hydrogen peroxide or r-butyl peroxide under basic conditions (Section 10.7) has been extended by the use of quininium and quinidinium catalysts to produce optically active oxiranes [1 — 16] the alkaloid bases are less efficient than their salts as catalysts [e.g. 8]. In addition to N-benzylquininium chloride, the binaphthyl ephedrinium salt (16 in Scheme 12.5) and the bis-cinchonidinium system (Scheme 12.12) have been used [12, 17]. Generally, the more rigid quininium systems are more effective than the ephedrinium salts. 

Basic solid liquid two-phase conditions with f-butyl peroxide and N-benzylquininium chloride convert cyclohex-2-enone preferentially into the 2(S),3(S)-oxirane (20% ee) which, upon purification and treatment with hydrazine, yields (S)-cyclohex-2-enol [7]. This reaction contrasts with the direct reduction of cyclohex-2-enone to the /J-isomer by lithium aluminium hydride in the presence of quinine [20]. 

Methylenecyclohexane oxide has been prepared by the oxidation of methylenecyclohexane with benzonitrile-hydrogen peroxide or with peracetic acid by treatment of 1-chlorocyclo-hexylmethanol with aqueous potassium hydroxide and by the reaction of dimethylsulfonium methylide with cyclohexanone. This reaction illustrates a general method for the conversion of ketones and aldehydes into oxiranes using the methylene-transfer reagent dimethyloxosulfonium methylide. The yields of oxiranes are usually high, and the crude products, in most cases, are of sufficient purity to be used in subsequent reactions (e.g., rearrangement to aldehydes) without further purification. 

The type of O2 adduct depends on the donor structure. For example, tetraphenyl-oxirane forms an ozonide (78), " 1,4-bifunctional radical cations form dioxanes (79) conjugated dienes form cyclic adducts (80) and ergosteryl acetate (81) forms the 5a,8fl-peroxide (82) at —78... 

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