Cobalt complex in a room temperature ionic liquid: A convenient recyclable reagent for catalytic epoxidation of cyclic alkenes

Co-catalyzed epoxidation of cyclic alkenes proceeds in ionic liquid media (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate). Epoxidation of the alkenes to respective epoxides was greatly accelerated by the use of a cobalt-based catalyst in the presence of H2O2 as an oxidant. The catalyst in ionic liquid [Emim]PF6 was recycled and reused for about seven times.