Alumina-catalyzed alkene epoxidation with hydrogen peroxide

Inexpensive Al2O3 can be used as a simple catalyst for alkene epoxidation, using anhydrous hydrogen peroxide as oxidant. This system is active and sel ective in the epoxidation of several alkenes. Besides the epoxidation of th e terpenes limonene and alpha -pinene, we studied the epoxidation of cycloh exene and cyclooctene, as well as alpha -olefins, such as 1-octene and 1-de cene. Productivities of up to 4.3 g products per gram catalyst were obtaine d and the catalyst was recycled without significant loss of activity. (C) 2 001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.