Readily prepared polymer-supported molybdenum carbonyls as novel reusable and highly active epoxidation catalysts

Molybdenum carbonyl complexes immobilized onto polymer-bound phosphines were easily prepared in two steps from commercially available chloromethylated polystyrene resin. These catalysts were found to efficiently catalyze epoxidation of a wide variety of alkenes, including aromatic and aliphatic terminal alkenes using tert-butylhydroperoxide. The new heterogenized molybdenum carbonyl epoxidation catalysts can be easily recovered by simple filtration and show no appreciable loss of activity even after 10 times of recycling.

Graphical abstractMolybdenum carbonyl complexes immobilized onto polymer-bound phosphines efficiently catalyze epoxidation of a wide variety of alkenes, including aromatic and aliphatic terminal alkenes using tert-butylhydroperoxide.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide