Unmatched efficiency and selectivity in the epoxidation of olefins with oxo-diperoxomolybdenum(VI) complexes as catalysts and hydrogen peroxide as terminal oxidant

A great variety of olefinic substrates having aromatic, carbocyclic and aliphatic olefins are effectively and selectively oxidized with oxygen-rich molybdenum(VI) complexes, namely [MoO(O2)2·2QOH] 1, [MoO(O2)(QO)2] 2, [Mo(O)2(QO)2] 3, [PPh4][MoO(O2)2(QO)] 4, [PPh4][Mo(O)2(O2)(QO)] 5 and [PPh4][Mo(O)3(QO)] 6 (QOH = 8-quinolinol) as catalyst, NaHCO3 as co-catalyst and H2O2 as the terminal oxidant, at room temperature. Catalysts 1 and 4 show unmatched yield, turnover number (TON) and turnover frequency (TOF), and hence shortest reaction time.