Observations and comments on the mechanism of epoxidation of alkenes by manganese(III) porphyrins with hypochlorite.

The kinetics of olefin epoxidation in a methylene chloride/water biphase containing a phase-transfer agent with hypochlorite as oxygen transfer reagent and manganese(III) tetraphenylporphyrin catalysts has been reinvestigated. The results do not support the accumulation of an intermediate composed of an alkene and a hypervalent metaloxo porphyrin. Second-order rate constants for oxygen transfer from hypochlorite to the manganese porphyrin, comproprotionation of the hypervalent manganese-oxo porphyrin with manganese(III) porphyrin, and olefin epoxidation by the hypervalent manganese-oxo porphyrin were obtained from experiments in a wet organic monophase.