Mono-lacunary PrIII-Polyoxotungstate： Epoxidation of Alkenes with Unusual Selectivity

The utilization of polyoxometalates (POMs) or their derivatives as homogeneous or heterogeneous catalysts in alkene epoxidation is a subject of considerable research activity1]. The limitation to the use of POMs in these catalytic reactions is either their relatively low selectivity in epoxide formation or applicability for a rather limited type of alkenes. Therefore, it would be beneficial if the catalysts bear high selectivity for epoxidation and are applicable for a rather wide variety of alkenes, which is desirable in industrial processes and also vital for the selection of an ideal catalyst2]. In search for an efficient and practical epoxidation method to utilize aqueous H2O2 as terminal oxidant, we focus on the rare-earth complexes with lacunary POM ligands.