Highly enantioselective epoxidation of styrene and α-methylstyrene catalyzed by new doubly-immobilized chiral (salen)Mn(III) catalysts

A novel catalytic system, including the initial immobilization of a sulphonato-(salen)Mn(III) complex on two silica supports through the linkage of hydrogen bonding anchored on the 5,5′-positions of salen ring and the subsequent dispersion of supported catalysts into ionic liquid, was designed and applied in this work. These new doubly-immobilized chiral (salen)Mn(III) catalysts were testified as highly effective and repeatable catalysts for the enantioselective epoxidation of styrene and α-methylstyrene.