Enantioselective Epoxidation of Chromene Derivatives Using Hydrogen Peroxide as a Terminal Oxidant

Abstract
Hydrogen peroxide was found to serve as an effective terminal oxidant for the salen-catalyzed asymmetric epoxidation of chromene derivatives, when N-methylimidazole was added to the reaction medium. Under the conditions, 6-acetamido-2,2-dimethyl-7-nitrochromene was converted into the corresponding epoxide of 95% ee in 98% yield.