Iron(III) porphyrin-catalyzed epoxidation of olefins by hydrogen peroxide: Factors affecting catalyst activity and selectivity

PETR 10

Alexis T. Bell, bell@cchem.berkeley.edu, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-1462
Iron porphyrins are well known for their ability to catalyze the oxidation of hydrocarbons by hydrogen peroxide and by organic peroxides in general. While many mechanistic studies have been reported, a complete description of the reaction pathway by which the olefin epoxidation occurs has emerged only recently as a result of the work reported by the authors. The aim of this review is to present a summary of the authors' research and to place it into perspective with previously published studies. What emerges is a complete mechanistic picture for the epoxidation of olefins by hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by iron porphyrins that is consistent with all experimental evidence.