Epoxidation of natural propenylbenzenes catalyzed by [FeIII(Salen)Cl] and [FeIII(TPP)Cl]

Epoxidation of natural propenylbenzenes (safrol, isosafrol, anethol, eugenol and isoeugenol) was carried out using iron complexes as catalysts ([FeIII(TPP)Cl] and [FeIII(Salen)Cl] · H2O, where TPP = 5, 10, 15, 20-meso-tetraphenylporphyrin and Salen = N,N′-(salicylaldehyde)ethylenediamine) in presence of hydrogen peroxide 30% and glacial acetic acid. Reaction products were identified by gas chromatography and satisfactory yields were obtained. Quantitative conversion of isosafrol to the corresponding epoxide was achieved in presence of [FeIII(TPP)Cl] as catalyst.