Optically active β-ketoiminato manganese(III) complexes as efficient catalysts in enantioselective aerobic epoxidation of unfunctionalized olefins

Revisiting the Mukaiyama-type epoxidation for the conversion of styrene into styrene carbonate in the presence of O2 and CO2

Alkene epoxidation using the Mukaiyama process involving O2 and a sacrificial aldehyde, as the first step of the global alkene oxidative carboxylation, does not necessarily require a metal catalyst.

Insights into the Structure and Reactivity of Acylperoxo Complexes in the Kochi−Jacobsen−Katsuki Catalytic System. A Density Functional Study

Structural properties of the acylperoxo complexes [(Salen)Mn(III)RCO(3)] (2) and [(Salen)Mn(IV)RCO(3)] (3), the critical intermediates in the Kochi-Jacobsen-Katsuki reaction utilizing organic peracids or O(2)/aldehydes as oxygen source, have been studied with the density functional theory. Four distinct isomers, cis(O,N), cis(N,O), cis(N,N), and trans, of these complexes have been located. The isomer 2-cis(O,N) in its quintet ground state, and nearly degenerate isomers 3-cis(O,N) and 3-cis(N,O) in their quartet ground states are found to be the lowest in energy among the other isomers. The O-O bond cleavage in the cis(O,N), cis(N,O), and trans isomers of 2 and 3 has been elucidated. In complex 3, the O-O bond is inert. On the contrary, in complex 2, the O-O bond cleaves via two distinct pathways. The first pathway occurs exclusively on the quintet potential energy surface (PES) and corresponds to heterolytic O-O bond scission coupled with insertion of an oxygen atom into an Mn-N(Salen) bond to form 2-N-oxo species; this pathway has the lowest barrier of 14.9 kcal/mol and is 15.6 kcal/mol exothermic. The second pathway is tentatively a spin crossover pathway. In particular, for 2-cis(O,N) and 2-cis(N,O) the second pathway proceeds through a crucial minimum on the seam of crossing (MSX) between the quintet and triplet PESs followed by heterolytic O-O cleavage on the triplet PES, and produces unusual triplet 2-cis(O,N)- and 2-cis(N,O)-oxo ([(Salen)Mn(V)(O)RCO(2)]) species; this pathway requires 12.8 kcal/mol and is 1.4 kcal/mol endothermic. In contrast, for the 2-trans isomer, spin crossing is less crucial and the O-O cleavage proceeds homolytically to generate 2-trans-oxo [(Salen)Mn(IV)(O)] species with RCO(2) radical; this pathway, however, cannot compete with that in 2-cis because it needs 21.9 kcal/mol for activation and is 15.3 kcal/mol endothermic. In summary, the O-O cleavage occurs predominantly in the 2-cis complexes, and may proceed either through pure high spin or spin crossover heterolytic pathway to produce 2-cis-oxo and 2-N-oxo species.

Base- and Co(II)-catalyzed ring-opening reactions of perhydrooxireno[2,3-d][1,2]dioxines: an efficient route to 4-hydroxy-2,3-epoxy-ketones

A series of 3,4,6-substituted 3,6-dihydro-1,2-dioxines were epoxidized with m-chloroperbenzoic acid to furnish perhydrooxireno[2,3-d][1,2]dioxines (epoxy-1,2-dioxines) in yields ranging from 51% to 93% with de's from 26% to 100%. Unsymmetrical epoxy-1,2-dioxines were ring-opened using triethylamine to yield 4-hydroxy-2,3-epoxy-ketones quantitatively, and meso-epoxy-1,2-dioxines were ring-opened using Co(II) salen complexes to afford 4-hydroxy-2,3-epoxy-ketones in 77-98% yield. The first reported examples of the catalytic asymmetric ring-opening of meso-epoxy-1,2-dioxines using a range of chiral Co(II) salen and beta-ketoiminato complexes to afford highly enantio-enriched 4-hydroxy-2,3-epoxy-ketones are also presented.