Epoxides are used in the production of a wide range of compounds including resins, perfumes and polyethers among many others. The commercial synthesis of epoxides uses olefins, either through the chlorohydrin process or the hydroperoxide process. This Hot Article from Professor Bert Weckhuysen et al. details a mechanistic study on cyclohexene epoxidation with cyclohexyl hydroperoxide, the team performed the reaction over titanium grafted mesoporous silica.
Two competing reactions appear to occur, one producing the epoxide and the other yielding
cyclohexanone. As all articles are free to access in Catalysis Science & Technology for the duration of 2012 you can download this article now to see the proposed mechanistic pathways.
Mechanistic insights in the olefin epoxidation with cyclohexyl hydroperoxide
Bart P. C. Hereijgers, Rudy F. Parton and Bert M. Weckhuysen
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2CY00455K, Paper
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