Asymmetric Epoxidations with H2O2 on Fe and Mn Aminopyridine Catalysts: Probing the Nature of Active Species by Combined Electron Paramagnetic Resonance and Enantioselectivity Study

Chiral bipyrrolidine based iron and manganese complexes ((S,S)-pdp)MII(OTf)2 catalyze the asymmetric epoxidation of various olefins with H2O2 in the presence of carboxylic acid additives with high efficiency (up to 1000 turnover number (TON)) and selectivity (up to 100%), and with good to high enantioselectivity (up to 93% enantiomeric excess (ee)). The enantioselectivity increases with growing steric demand of the acid. On the basis of the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and enantioselectivity studies, the active oxygen-transferring species of the above systems can be identified as structurally similar oxometal(V) species of the type ((S,S)-pdp)MV═O(OCOR)2+ (M = Fe, Mn; R = alkyl).