Manufacture of epoxyethyl ethers or glycidyl ethers

摘要

The invention relates to a process for the manufacture of an epoxyethyl ether or glycidyl ether by catalytic oxidation of a vinyl or allyl ether using an oxidant, preferably hydrogen peroxide, and a manganese complex wherein the catalytic oxidation is performed in an aqueous reaction medium, comprising water with less than 10% by volume of cosolvents, wherein a water-soluble manganese complex is used as oxidation catalyst,
characterized in that the water-soluble manganese complex is a mononuclear species of the general formula (I):
[LMnX 3 ]Y (I)
or a binuclear species of the general formula (II):
[LMn(µ-X) 3 MnL]Y 2 (II)
wherein Mn is a manganese; L or each L independently is a polydentate ligand, each X independently is a coordinating species and each µ-X independently is a bridging coordinating species, whereas Y is an oxidatively-stable counter ion, and wherein the epoxidation is carried out at a pH in the range of from 1.0 to 6.0.
This invention also relates to epoxyethyl ethers.