A macrocyclic chiral manganese(III) Schiff base complex as an efficient catalyst for the asymmetric epoxidation of olefins

A new chiral macrocyclic Mn(III)-salen complex has been prepared with two salicylidene moieties linked together to their 3 and 3′ positions by an aliphatic polyether bridge. This complex provides a highly enantioselective (up to 93%) catalyst for epoxidation of cis-disubstituted olefins with sodium hypochlorite as an oxygen atom donor and can be recycled up to three times without significant loss in performance.