Epoxidation by sodium chlorite with aldehyde-promoted chlorine dioxide formation

An improved method is described for selective room temperature epoxidation of alkenes by sodium chlorite in a solvent mixture of ethanol, acetonitrile, and water buffered at pH 7. In addition, the use of aldehydes as promoters in chlorite oxidations is described for the first time. The amount of sodium chlorite, the solvent mixture, and the addition of formaldehyde as a practical promoter were optimized. Styrene was used as a test substrate in the optimization studies and the generality of the method was assessed by using a variety of nucleophilic and electrophilic substrates. Yields up to 89% were obtained with styrene and other nucleophilic alkenes are readily converted into epoxides.