A mild, rapid and highly regioselective ring-opening of epoxides and aziridines with acetic anhydride under solvent-free conditions using ammonium-12-molybdophosphate

A highly regioselective ring opening of epoxides and aziridines can be carried out efficiently with acetic anhydride to form the acetates of the corresponding 1,2-diols and 2-amino-alcohols, respectively, using ammonium-12-molybdophosphate (AMP) as a heterogeneous catalyst, at room temperature, in the absence of solvent.