Recovery of Optically Active Epoxy Alcohols

摘要

A process to recover optically active epoxy alcohols from asymmetric epoxidation reaction mixtures such as those produced using the Sharpless method of epoxidation of allylic alcohols. The process includes adding a reducing agent to reduce an organic hydroperoxide in the asymmetric epoxidation reaction product to a corresponding alcohol to form a reduced epoxidation reaction mixture; adding the reduced reaction product to a film evaporation unit to form a residue fraction and an optically active epoxy alcohol distillate fraction; and distilling the optically active epoxy alcohol distillate fraction to purify the optically active epoxy alcohol.