Epoxidation of methyl oleate over various amorphous Ti–SiO2 catalysts

The epoxidation reaction of the vegetable oil derivative methyl oleate with tert-butyl hydroperoxide in the presence of amorphous Ti–SiO2 catalysts prepared by different methods using various silica sources was carried out. The reaction conditions were optimized. The relation between the properties of the catalysts such as specific surface area as well as titanium dispersion and the catalytic performance was in focus of the investigation. Based on the catalytic results in small batch reactors, the reaction was scaled up in a larger 4 L batch-reactor. Thereby similar conversions and selectivities were obtained in comparison with the small scale experiments.

Recent developments in liquid-phase selective oxidation using environmentally benign oxidants and mesoporous metal silicates

This Perspective article surveys recent advances in the synthesis of mesoporous transition-metal-containing silicate materials and their use for the liquid-phase selective oxidation of organic compounds with environmentally friendly oxidants – molecular oxygen, hydrogen peroxide and organic hydroperoxides.

Selective Epoxidation of Olefins by Perfluoro-cis-2,3-dialkyloxaziridines(1)

Alkyl-substituted olefins are epoxidized by perfluoro-cis-2,3-dialkyloxaziridines under particularly mild conditions. Electron deficient substrates (e.g. alpha,beta-enones) can also be epoxidized, and the more electron poor the double bond is, the more severe the reactions conditions become. The epoxidation is chemoselective (secondary alcohols and their ethers do not interfere), site selective (the monoepoxide of a diene can be obtained), and stereoselective (cis-alkenes afford cis-epoxides). Various complex and polyfunctional substrates of natural origin (monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, steroids) have been transformed effectively.