A powerful new stereo-controlled method for epoxidation of electrophilic alkenes
Abstract
t-Butyl hydroperoxide and an alkyl-lithium in dry tetrahydrofuran are shown to epoxidise α,β-unsaturated esters and sulphones efficiently in a stereo- and regio-specific manner, while esters of chiral alcohols undergo diastereofacially selective epoxidation.