Isomerization of Epoxides

Epoxides are highly useful synthetic intermediates and they can be synthesized stereo‐ and regioselectively. Due to the strained three‐membered ring, their synthetic utility is limited. In many cases, it would be better to transform epoxides to other stable functional groups which could be used further in the synthesis. This isomerization would offer an alternate pathway to utilize the synthetic potential of epoxides. Despite the potential of such isomerization reactions, they have not been widely explored by chemists. In this review, the methods to isomerize epoxides into stable functional groups such as alcohols, aldehydes, ketones as well as trans ‐epoxides, both stereo‐ and regioselectively, are discussed. magnified image