What can be used instead of mCPBA?

monoperphthalic acid
Consequently, MCPBA is popular for laboratory use. However, MCPBA can be explosive under some conditions. Peroxycarboxylic acids are sometimes replaced in industrial applications by monoperphthalic acid, or the monoperoxyphthalate ion bound to magnesium, which gives magnesium monoperoxyphthalate (MMPP).

What reagent creates epoxide?

Epoxidation is the chemical reaction which converts the carbon–carbon double bond into oxiranes (epoxides), using a variety of reagents including air oxidation, hypochlorous acid, hydrogen peroxide, and organic peracid (Fettes, 1964).

How is an epoxide formed?

Aside from ethylene oxide, most epoxides are generated by treating alkenes with peroxide-containing reagents, which donate a single oxygen atom. Safety considerations weigh on these reactions because organic peroxides are prone to spontaneous decomposition or even combustion.

Why is mCPBA used in epoxidation?

A white solid, it is used widely as an oxidant in organic synthesis. mCPBA is often preferred to other peroxy acids because of its relative ease of handling. mCPBA is a strong oxidizing agent that may cause fire upon contact with flammable material.

How do you remove mCPBA from a reaction mixture?

Simply add acetone. By product is methylacetate.

Why is epoxidation important?

Epoxides are an important class of compounds in organic synthesis, because nucleophilic ring opening takes place easily in an SN2 pathway with inversion of configuration at the reacting carbon center. The driving force of the high reactivity is the inherent strain of the three-membered heterocycle.

How are epoxides formed from alkenes?

Let’s review the first method. Treating an alkene with a “peroxyacid” (that’s a carboxylic acid containing an extra oxygen) leads to direct formation of an epoxide.

What does mCPBA do in a reaction?

mCPBA forms epoxides when added to alkenes. One of the key features of this reaction is that the stereochemistry is always retained. That is, a cis alkene will give the cis-epoxide, and a trans alkene will give a trans epoxide. This is a prime example of a stereoselective reaction.

How do you form an epoxide from an alkene?

Treating an alkene with a “peroxyacid” (that’s a carboxylic acid containing an extra oxygen) leads to direct formation of an epoxide. A popular peroxyacid for this purpose is m-CPBA [m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid], although other peroxyacids of the general form RCO3H also find use.