title: Organocatalytic asymmetric epoxidation reactions in water-alcohol solutions.
abstract: The diastereo- and enantioselective organocatalytic epoxidation of alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes in aqueous solutions is presented. By the screening of the reaction conditions for the epoxidation of cinnamic aldehyde applying hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant and 2-[bis-(3,5-bis-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-trimethylsilanyloxy-methyl]-pyrrolidine as the catalyst, a highly stereoselective reaction has been developed. The scope of the diastereo- and enantioselective organocatalytic epoxidation in aqueous solutions is documented by the asymmetric epoxidation of alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes with enantioselectivities up to 96% ee.
authors.affiliation: Danish National Research Foundation: Center for Catalysis, Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marigo
authors.forename: Karl Anker
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Jørgensen