Ring opening of epoxides with alcohols using Fe(Cp)2BF4 as catalyst

Fe(Cp)(2)BF4 is an efficient catalyst for the alcoholysis of aromatic, aliphatic, and cyclic epoxides giving excellent yields of the corresponding beta-alkoxy alcohols under ambient conditions. The methanolysis of styrene oxide using Fe(Cp)(2)BF4 as a catalyst (5 mol %) gave excellent yield of 2-methoxy-2-phenylethanol with complete regio-selectivity. The ring opening of cyclic epoxides gave 77-97% yields of trans-beta-methoxy alcohols, in 0.5-6 h. The use of 1,2-epoxyhexane and 1,2-epoxydodecane as substrates gave both regioisomers in excellent yields. The first order rate of reaction with respect to catalyst was observed for the kinetics of ring opening of 1,2-epoxyhexane with methanol. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.