Highly Regio- and Stereoselective Synthesis of β-Halohydrins from Epoxides Catalyzed with Ceric Ammonium Nitrate

Ce(IV) as ceric ammonium nitrate can effectively catalyze ring opening of epoxides with halides under very mild conditions and easy procedure to give the corresponding β-chloro-and β-bromohydrins in excellent yields. The reactions occur with both substituted and unsubstituted quaternary ammonium halides and with high regio- and stereoselectivity. The reaction of optically active styrene oxide with chloride ion was found to be highly stereospecific and afforded the corresponding β-halohydrin in 96% ee.