cis-Stil
bene (
1) has
been epoxidized
by a set of diverse oxygen donors [OxD], catalyzed
by theMn
III(salen)X complexes
3 (X = Cl, PF
6), to afford a mixture of
cis- and
trans-epoxides
2. The cis/transratios range from 29:71 (extensive isomerization) to 92:8, which depends
both on the oxygen source [OxD]and on the counterion X of the catalyst. When (1
,2
beta2.gif" BORDER=0 ALIGN="middle">,3
)-(2-ethenyl-3-methoxycyclopropyl)-
benzene (
4)is used as su
bstrate, a mechanistic pro
be which differentiates
between radical and cationic intermediates,no cationic ring-opening products are found in this epoxidation reaction; thus, isomerized epoxide productarises from intermediary radicals. The dependence of the diastereoselectivity on the oxygen source isrationalized in terms of a
bifurcation step in the catalytic cycle, in which concerted Lewis-acid-activatedoxygen transfer competes with stepwise epoxidation
by the esta
blished Mn
V(oxo) species. The experimentalcounterion effect is attri
buted to the computationally assessed ligand-dependent reaction profiles andstereoselectivities of the singlet, triplet, and quintet spin states availa
ble to the manganese species.