High Yield Regioselective Ring Opening of Epoxides Using Samarium Chloride Hexahydrate

Abstract

Epoxides were converted to the corresponding β-azidohydrins and β-iodohydrins using SmCl₃·6H₂O/NaN₃ in DMF and SmCl₃·6H₂O/NaI in acetonitrile respectively. The reactions were highly regioselective, efficient, and gave excellent yields under mild and neutral conditions.