A mild and efficient biomimetic synthesis of α-hydroxymethylarylketones from oxiranes in the presence of β-cyclodextrin and NBS in water

α-Hydroxymethylarylketones can be synthesized in good yields from easily accessible epoxides in the presence of β-cyclodextrin and NBS in water. This method is a direct, one-pot, synthesis under mild conditions using water as solvent and has many advantages over existing methodologies.