Alumina-catalyzed alkene epoxidation with hydrogen peroxide

Inexpensive Al2O3 can be used as a simple catalyst for alkene epoxidation, using anhydrous hydrogen peroxide as oxidant. This system is active and selective in the epoxidation of several alkenes. Besides the epoxidation of the terpenes limonene and alpha -pinene, we studied the epoxidation of cyclohexene and cyclooctene, as well as alpha -olefins, such as 1-octene and 1-decene. Productivities of up to 4.3 g products per gram catalyst were obtained and the catalyst was recycled without significant loss of activity. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.