m-Chloroperbenzoic acid → 9,10-Epoxy-1,5-cyclododecadiene

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

To a mechanically stirred solution of E,E,E-1,4,8-cyclododecatriene (22.5 g, 139 mmol, available commercially from Alfa Aesar) in methylene chloride (200 ml) was added sodium bicarbonate (12 g, 139 mmol). The mixture was cooled to 0° C. and m-chloroperbenzoic acid (24 g, 166 mmol) was added in small portions over 2 hours. The reaction mixture was stirred at 0° C. for 1 hour, then allowed to warm to ambient temperature. Filtration, washing with sodium hydrogen sulphate (2 portions of 30 ml 10% aq. solution) and distillation of the methylene chloride solvent yielded the crude product. The crude product was dissolved in MTBE, washed with aqueous NaHCO3, water and brine. The solvent was evaporated and the product (31.3 g; 30% starting material, 63% monoepoxide; 7% diepoxide) purified by distillation. The pure monoepoxide crystallised spontaneously (yield=79% taking into account recovered substrate).

Provenance & Evidence