Vanadium-catalyzed asymmetric epoxidation of allylic alcohols in water

Abstract

Asymmetric V-catalyzed epoxidation of allylic alcohols can be carried out in water with chiral ligands, which incorporate sulfonamide and hydroxamic acid fragments. Furthermore, the reaction, notorious for its ligand-deceleration effect, in water turned into the ligand-accelerated process. By using this aqueous protocol, a range of allylic alcohols were epoxidized with up to 94% ee.