Epoxidation of alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones in water. An environmentally benign protocol

An easy, cheap procedure is proposed for the epoxidation of alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones in water as the sole reaction medium and using bases such as NaOH and CTAOH as promoting agents and hydrogen peroxide as oxidant. By using solely water, the reaction medium can be recycled which is important for reducing wastes. An example of an alpha-functionalization of alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones by a one-pot procedure in water is reported.