Selectivity in the Oxidation of Limonene by Amphiphilized Metalloporphyrins in Micellar Media

Abstract

The weak interactions responsible for the aggregation and organization of micellar aggregates have been shown to control the regioselectivity of the epoxidation of limonene catalyzed by manganese porphyrins toward the endo double bond. The same reaction carried out in the presence of aggregates formed by sodium N-dodecanoyl-l-prolinate has shown the same regioselectivity, a selectivity toward the R enantiomer of limonene and a slight but significative stereoselectivity due to the organization of the molecular aggregates.